Investigations on 3D printed thermosetting and ceramic-reinforced recycled thermoplastic-based functional prototypes

The 3D printing of thermoplastic polymers (both virgin and reinforced with metal/ceramic particles) has been widely explored in recent past with fused deposition modelling (FDM) process. But hitherto very little has been reported on 3D printing of thermoplastics polymers with reinforcement of thermosetting polymers and ceramic particles. This article is an extension of work reported on thermo-mechanical investigations on waste thermosetting polymer bakelite and ceramic (silicon carbide and aluminium oxide) as reinforcement in recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic matrix for sustainability. The study reports the experimental investigations on mechanical (tensile), morphological, surface hardness and thermal stability analysis of 3D printed functional prototype as tensile specimen (as per ASTM D 638). In the present case study, it has been ascertained that composition/proportion of thermoplastic matrix has a significant role in controlling the mechanical properties, whereas other input process parameters of FDM are insignificant. The results of the study suggest that thermosetting and ceramic-reinforced ABS thermoplastic-based 3D printed parts have mechanical properties at par with unreinforced ABS.