3D-printing quality in relation to melt flow and fusion behavior of polymer materials

Abstract

Full fusion and layer contact are essential for the mechanical, but also optical quality of 3D-printed parts. A comprehensive study on relations of 3D-printing quality to melt flow and fusion behavior is presented for a wide range of thermoplastic polymer materials. We investigated the influence of polymer structure and chain length as well as processing temperature, which largely determine material viscosity and surface tension. Furthermore, the influence of particle or layer dimensions is investigated. Comparisons of experimental and simulated data using well-established models and sets of parameters allow drawing valuable conclusions for optimizations of 3D-printing conditions and product quality.