Taguchi optimization of 3D printed short carbon fiber polyetherketoneketone (CFR PEKK)

Aliza Rabinowitz; Paul M DeSantis; Cemile Basgul; Hannah Spece; Steven M Kurtz

doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105981

Taguchi optimization of 3D printed short carbon fiber polyetherketoneketone (CFR PEKK)

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2023 Sep:145:105981. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105981. Epub 2023 Jul 10.

Authors

Aliza Rabinowitz¹, Paul M DeSantis², Cemile Basgul², Hannah Spece², Steven M Kurtz²

Affiliations

¹ Implant Research Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: aliza.rabinowitz@outlook.com.
² Implant Research Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

PMID: 37481803
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105981

Abstract

In this study, the Taguchi method was utilized to optimize fused filament fabrication (FFF) additive manufacturing with the goal of maximizing the flexural strength of 3D printed polyaryletherketone specimens. We analyzed 3D printed (3DP) carbon fiber reinforced poly-etherketoneketone (CFR PEKK), 3D printed and pressed (3DP + P) CFR PEKK, and injection molded medical grade polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as a control. Fracture surfaces were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters that were varied in the optimization included nozzle diameter, layer height, print speed, raster angle, and nozzle temperature. We analyzed the flexural strength and flexural modulus determined from 3-point bending (ASTM D790). Using Taguchi optimization, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) was calculated to determine the relationship between the input parameters and flexural strength and to determine optimal print settings. Results were confirmed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). The raster angle and layer height were determined to have the greatest impact on the flexural strength of specimens printed in the FFF process for 3DP CFR PEKK. The optimized printing parameters were found to be 0/90 Raster Angle, 0.25 mm layer height, 0.8 mm Nozzle Diameter, 375 °C nozzle temperature, and 1100 mm/min print speed. The optimized 3DP CFR PEKK test samples had a flexural strength of 111.3 ± 5.3 MPa and a flexural modulus of 3.5 GPa. 3DP + P CFR PEKK samples had a flexural strength of 257.2 ± 17.8 MPa and a flexural modulus of 8.2 GPa. Statistical comparisons between means demonstrated that pressing significantly improves both flexural strength and flexural modulus of 3DP CFR PEKK. The results of this study support the hypothesis that post consolidation of 3DP specimens improves mechanical properties. Post-processing composites via pressing may allow greater design freedom within the 3DP process while improving mechanical properties.

Keywords: 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Carbon fiber reinforcement (CFR); Fracture fixation; Fused filament fabrication (FFF); PAEK; PEEK; PEKK; Polyaryletherketone; Polyetheretherketone; Polyetherketoneketone; Taguchi.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Carbon Fiber
Materials Testing
Printing, Three-Dimensional*
Surface Properties

Substances

polyetherketoneketone
Carbon Fiber

Grants and funding

R41 AR082266/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States