Experimentally Assessing the Wear Characteristics of 3D-Printed PLA and Tough PLA Materials Based on Fused Deposition Modeling

Abstract

This study investigated the wear properties of two commonly utilized polymer materials, PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) and Tough PLA, in additive manufacturing applications. The samples were produced with a 100% infill rate on a 3D printer using Fused Deposition Modeling. Hardness measurements and abrasive wear tests were conducted to analyze the wear characteristics of the samples. The comparison involved parameters such as volume loss, coefficient of friction, and specific wear rate. Additionally, surface roughness measurements were performed to assess the quality of the worn surfaces. Wear maps were constructed to obtain information about the wear mechanisms, and scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to describe the worn surfaces. The results demonstrated that Tough PLA exhibited superior wear resistance compared to PLA. Depending on the applied load and sliding distances, fatigue, micro-fracture, and micro-cutting mechanisms were identified as contributing factors to the wear process. Furthermore, it was observed that higher applied loads resulted in a significant increase in surface roughness values.