Heat treatment of 3D printed polyethylene terephthalate glycol in a supporting powder bed

Material extrusion 3D printing is a fabrication process that produces layered polymer parts with complex geometry but with inferior mechanical properties compared to parts made with other methods such as injection molding. Post fabrication heat treatment is a valid post-processing method that reduces the internal thermal stresses and improves layer adhesion in 3D printed polymers, resulting in superior mechanical properties. This study investigates the mechanical changes produced in 3D printed PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified) parts after heat treatment. A novel technique is used, where the parts are embedded into a bed of sodium chloride powder in order to prevent deformation during postprocessing. Fully filled 3D printed PETG parts with various geometries are tightly packed in a bed of powder. The parts are subjected to heat treatment at a temperature above the material’s glass transition temperature but below its melting temperature. Destructive and non-destructive testing performed on the treated 3D printed samples shows a substantial improvement of mechanical properties. Tensile strength testing reveals an increase of tensile strength by 40% for parts printed horizontally and by over 100% for parts printed vertically. Increased stiffness is also observed in treated parts. Compressive strength testing shows a strength increase of 43% after treatment. Dimensional measurements made prior to and after treatment show significantly reduced deformation when using the supporting powder method versus unsupported treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis is used to assess internal structural changes in the polymer after post-processing. This analysis reveals changes in internal void shape and distribution, increased interlayer adhesion and increased interface area of deposited filaments, providing insight into the mechanisms that lead to the improved properties observed in destructive testing. The supporting powder heat treatment allows the fabrication of parts with complex geometry through material extrusion 3D printing while mitigating the inherent disadvantage of the fabrication process of producing parts with inferior mechanical properties.