Fabrication of Customized Filaments for FFF Using Phase Inversion Technology

Additive manufacturing (AM) has significant potential to create sustainable, lightweight, multifunctional material systems in a single step. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is the most commonly used AM technology, which involves the deposition of thermoplastic polymer filament layers. Phase inversion is one method that can be used to produce filaments for FFF. In this process, a polymer solution is prepared and then extruded into a coagulation bath. By applying a unidirectional casting direction to the composite solution, the orientation of the reinforcements can be optimized to achieve superior mechanical performance. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the potential of the phase inversion technique, combined with the controlled alignment of reinforcements within a polymeric matrix, to improve the mechanical properties of the resulting composite films. The results may prove promising for the development of unidirectional reinforcing filaments commonly used in FFF processes.