Mechanical and electrical behavior of ABS polymer reinforced with graphene manufactured by the FDM process

Additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized and continues to revolutionize the manufacture of parts and components with complex geometries that are difficult to manufacture by traditional processes. There are many materials, including polymers, that can be used in this process. The improvement of mechanical, electrical, thermal, tribological, and magnetic properties can be achieved through the addition of filling materials to meet certain design and manufacturing requirements. This research studied the mechanical (tensile, flexural, and impact) and electrical properties of parts produced by 3D printing, through the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process, with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) raw material reinforced with commercially supplied graphene, varying the infill and layer thickness parameters. These parts were then compared with parts produced through FDM and injection molding processes using ABS raw material without graphene reinforcement. A central composite design (CCD) was used in the experimental tests to ensure reliability of the results. The addition of graphene to ABS decreased the yield point for tensile strength by 51.5% and for flexural strength by 48.6%, both of which were statistically significant. In the impact energy test, the manufactured parts with the addition of graphene also decreased the impact energy by 36.8%; however, they were not statistically significant. The electrical properties (resistivity and conductivity) of the ABS-graphene were evaluated through the 4-point test and the results showed an average conductivity of 2.46 × 10 − 1 ( Ω . m ) − 1 , which classifies it as a semiconductor.