Effects of FDM-3D printing parameters on mechanical properties and microstructure of CF/PEEK and GF/PEEK

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has unique advantages in the rapid prototyping of thermoplastics which have been developed in diverse fields. However, although great efforts have been made to optimize FDM process, the mechanical properties of printed parts are limited by the weak interlamination bonding as well as the poor performance of raw filaments used, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactic acid (PLA). Adding fibers into thermoplastic matrix and preparing high-performance filaments have been indicated to enhance the properties of fabricated parts. Recently, heat-resistant polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and its fiber reinforced composites were proposed for FDM process due to overcoming the limitation of equipment and process. However, few researches have been reported on the effects of FDM-3D printing parameters on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced PEEK composites. Therefore, 5wt% carbon fiber (CF) and glass fiber (GF) reinforced PEEK composite filaments were prepared respectively in this study. The effects of various printing parameters including nozzle temperature, platform temperature, printing speed and layer thickness on the mechanical properties (including tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength) were surveyed. To analyze the microstructure and failure reasons of printed CF/PEEK and GF/PEEK samples, the tensile fractured surfaces were investigated via scanning electron microscope (SEM).