2-Dimensional strain mapping and post curing effects on viscoelastic properties of glass fiber infused photocurable composites prepared using Vat-photopolymerization process
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of different post-curing times on the mechanical properties, specifically the visco-elastic characteristics, Poisson’s ratio and modulus, of three dimensional (3D) printed photopolymer composites (PPCs) reinforced with short glass fibres (SGF).
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses digital light processing-based Vat-photopolymerization process to 3D print PPCs reinforced with SGF at volume fractions of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%. An inter-stage stirring process was used to reinforce the SGFs in a layer wise fashion. After printing, the parts undergo post-curing for 20, 60 and 100 min. The mechanical properties are then analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis and in situ optical measurements. In addition, two-dimensional strain mapping from digital image correlation techniques is used to assess the structural behavior.
Findings
This study found that composites with 4% SGF reinforcement achieved the highest storage modulus, approximately 1,550 MPa, after 60 and 100 min of post-curing. In addition, the Poisson’s ratio of these composites increased from 0.2 to 0.41 with rising temperature. By applying Poisson’s ratio correction, the modulus was observed to be 1,800 MPa. These results indicate that optimal SGF content and post-curing times significantly enhance the mechanical properties of 3D-printed PPCs.
Originality/value
This research uniquely combines the reinforcement of photopolymers with SGFs at varying volume fractions and the detailed analysis of post-curing times to enhance the mechanical properties of 3D printed PPCs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors of this research work would like to extend their regards to the Reverse Engineering Laboratory for composite fabrication and Central Research facility, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, for providing facilities on testing.
Declaration of competing interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Citation
Moharana, A.P. and Dixit, A.R. (2024), "2-Dimensional strain mapping and post curing effects on viscoelastic properties of glass fiber infused photocurable composites prepared using Vat-photopolymerization process", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-06-2024-0254
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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