Optimizing the mechanical response metrics of High Performance PPSU in MEX additive manufacturing: The impact of key process parameters

Although high-performance thermoplastics are increasingly in demand for advanced manufacturing, there are still no optimized guidelines for obtaining reliable mechanical properties in MEX-printed polyphenylsulfone (PPSU). Herein, PPSU was extruded in filament form and then additively manufactured as coupons via material extrusion (MEX) for mechanical testing and microscopic evaluation. The optimization was assigned to the Taguchi L16 design of the experiment, which was operated with five control parameters (infill angle, extrusion temperature, print speed, fill percentage, track width) and four response metrics (tensile strength, tensile yield strength, Young’s modulus, and tensile toughness). Reduced Quadratic (RQRM) and linear (LRM) regression models were evaluated, with RQRM being more efficient. The fill percentage was the most influential of all responses, while raster orientation had the minimum impact on them. Overall, the optimization process led to a remarkable improvement of the investigated mechanical properties for PPSU, which ranged from 164% - 274% enhancement (maximum tensile strength 70.65MPa, yield strength 60.75MPa, Young’s modulus 221.55MPa, toughness 18.6MJ/m3). The study presents knowledge for industry and predictive tools for researchers, designers, and engineers to utilize to improve the structural performance of PPSU components.