Additive Manufacturing of Conductive Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Filaments via Polypyrrole Incorporation

This study investigates the modification of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments with polypyrrole (PPy) to enable their use in additive manufacturing applications requiring electrical conductivity. PPy was incorporated into ABS via melt extrusion at concentrations from 0 to 60 wt.% to address the material’s inherently low conductivity. The resulting filaments were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM, TGA, DMA, and EIS. At 60 wt.% PPy, impedance decreased by two orders of magnitude, although continuous conductive pathways were not fully established. To overcome this limitation, an additional PPy coating was applied to the filament surface, yielding a five-order reduction in impedance and markedly enhanced electrical performance. TGA results showed improved thermal stability with increasing PPy content, while DMA indicated reduced mechanical strength, especially between 75 °C and 100 °C. These results highlight the potential of PPy-coated ABS filaments as conductive materials for energy-related additive manufacturing applications, balancing conductivity with acceptable thermal and mechanical properties.