Fused Filament Fabrication Based on Polyhydroxy Ether (Phenoxy) Polymers and Related Properties

Polymers (Basel). 2021 May 12;13(10):1549. doi: 10.3390/polym13101549.

Abstract

This paper describes the first-time application of polyhydroxy ether polymers, so-called phenoxy, to fused filament fabrication (FFF). Phenoxy is an amorphous thermoplastic polymer that is based on the same building blocks as epoxide resins. This similarity creates some unique properties such as dissolution to epoxide systems, which is why phenoxy is used as an additive for toughening. In this study, the processing parameters were characterized, a filament was extruded and applied to FFF printing, and the final mechanical characteristics were determined. The study concludes with a comparison with other standard FFF materials.

Keywords: 3D printing; additive manufacturing; composite; fused deposition modeling; fused filament fabrication; phenoxy.