Mechanical and Tribological Performance of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced PETG for FFF Applications

Abstract

With the increasing adoption of Additive Manufacturing in the industry, driven by its efficiency, productivity, and project profitability, materials have undergone significant evolution to enhance process performance and part properties. One of the processes employed to enhance these properties involves the incorporation of various types of reinforcements. This aims to ensure that the material acquires a proportion of the properties of the added reinforcement. Consequently, the options for material selection expand depending on the application. Hence, there is a need to understand how specific reinforcements modify the properties of these materials. For this reason, this study investigates the modification of mechanical properties in a PETG matrix through the incorporation of short carbon fiber (CF) reinforcements, driven by their industrial relevance. To achieve this, the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process will be utilized to produce a series of standardized specimens made of both PETG and CF-reinforced PETG, with variations in layer height and extrusion temperature. Subsequently, these specimens will undergo mechanical evaluation in tension and compression, following the relevant standards for each case. Finally, distinctions between both materials will be analyzed, based on the data obtained from tensile and compression tests. The incorporation of carbon fiber reinforcement shows a detrimental effect, leading to a decrease in the material’s stress (39.23 N/mm2 vs. 48.41 N/mm2 for the conventional material). As expected, due to the nature of the reinforcement (short fibers), the deformation of the material also decreases (2.13% compared to 2.9%).