Characterization of ABS Used in Additive Manufacturing Processes and Natural ABS

Abstract

The study of the properties of the Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) thermoplastic requires the prior characterization of the mechanical properties, so that an initial knowledge can be obtained to model and predict the mechanical behavior of parts manufactured by 3D printing, or simply to compare the changes that occur in the material during its transformation in the manufacture of the models. This article presents a comparative study of the mechanical behavior of parts manufactured by the additive manufacturing technique, molten deposition modeling (FDM), with respect to two types of thermoplastic materials: ABS Plus used in the FDM technique and natural ABS. The variables studied are tensile strength, creep resistance and elongation. The results show that the properties determined for the specimens manufactured with natural ABS have a lower variability than those obtained with ABS plus. In general, the distance of the nozzle is the manufacturing parameter that most influences manufacturing in FDM. The samples tested made with natural ABS showed a stiffness greater than ABS plus, and it was found to have a higher tensile strength. In addition, characterization techniques were applied to obtain information on the morphology of the material and to observe the thermal behavior and verify the characteristics given by the manufacturer. The proposed methodology is a reference of interest in studies for the determination of the mechanical properties of polymeric materials manufactured using these technologies.