Research on Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2024 | Viewed by 482

Special Issue Editor

National Special Superfine Powder Engineering Technology Research Center, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
Interests: advanced composite; mechanical properties; nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has significantly transformed the realm of materials science and engineering. This technique is particularly useful for polymer composites, as it allows for the creation of intricate, high-resolution structures that were previously challenging or impossible to fabricate. Commonly used materials in this field include polymers like ABS, PLA, PET, and nylon, combined with fillers, such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, metals, and ceramics, to enhance their mechanical properties. Techniques such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), and stereolithography (SLA) are employed, depending on the specific materials and applications involved. The additive manufacturing of polymer composites has found its usage in various sectors, including the aerospace, automotive, medical, and electronic industries, as well as consumer products. However, there remain challenges in achieving improved control over filler particle distribution, understanding the impact of printing parameters on final part properties, and developing sophisticated design tools. While substantial strides have been made in this domain, it remains a vibrant area of research teeming with potential for further advancements. Researchers are currently focusing on overcoming existing hurdles and expanding the range of materials and applications for this innovative technology. This Special Issue is dedicated to reporting recent fundamental advances in the development and additive manufacturing of polymer composites.

Dr. Yubing Hu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • additive manufacturing
  • polymer composites
  • 3D printing techniques
  • material sciences
  • fused deposition modeling (FDM)
  • mechanical properties

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 4901 KiB  
Article
Spreading Behavior of Non-Spherical Particles with Reconstructed Shapes Using Discrete Element Method in Additive Manufacturing
by Tengfang Zhang, Dan Chen, Hui Yang, Wei Zhao, Yunming Wang and Huamin Zhou
Polymers 2024, 16(9), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16091179 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 333
Abstract
The spreading behavior of particles has a significant impact on the processing quality of additive manufacturing. Compared with spherical metal material, polymer particles are usually non-spherical in shape. However, the effects of particle shape and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the spreading process [...] Read more.
The spreading behavior of particles has a significant impact on the processing quality of additive manufacturing. Compared with spherical metal material, polymer particles are usually non-spherical in shape. However, the effects of particle shape and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the spreading process of particles with reconstructed shapes (non-spherical particles decomposed into several spherical shapes by stereo-lithography models) are simulated by integrating spherical particles with the discrete element method. The results show that more cavities form in the spreading beds of particles with reconstructed shapes than those of spheres with blade spreading. Correspondingly, particles with reconstructed shapes have lower packing densities, leading to more uniform packing patterns. Slow propagation speeds of velocity and angular velocity lead to “right-upwards” turning boundaries for particles with reconstructed shapes and “right-downwards” turning boundaries for spherical particles. Moreover, as the blade velocity increases, the packing density decreases. Our calculation results verify each other and are in good agreement with the experiment, providing more details of the behavior of non-spherical particles before additive manufacturing. The comprehensive comparison between polymer non-spherical particles and spherical particles helps develop a reasonable map for the appropriate choice of operating parameters in real processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Composites)
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