An experimental study on interfacial fracture toughness of 3-D printed ABS/CF-PLA composite under mode I, II, and mixed-mode loading

Multimaterial structures made using fused deposition modeling (FDM) offer an attractive prospect for enhancing their mechanical properties and functionality. In this study, the interfacial fracture toughness of a unidirectional hybrid composite fabricated by FDM was studied through mechanical testing. The composite structure comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and carbon fiber-reinforced polylactic acid. Since, de-adhesion or bond failure at the interface can occur under a combination of the different fracture modes, therefore, interfacial fracture toughness, in terms of the critical energy release rate, was characterized using double cantilever beam specimen test for mode I, end-notched flexural specimen test for mode II, and mixed-mode bending specimen test for mixed-mode I/II. Effects of varying process parameters, like printing speed and nozzle temperature, on the interfacial fracture toughness in mode I and II were also investigated. It was found that increasing the nozzle temperature and printing speed enhance the fracture toughness, both in mode I and II, but the effect of increasing nozzle temperature on mode II fracture toughness was quite significant.