3D printing of polyphenylene sulfide for functional lightweight automotive component manufacturing through enhancing interlayer bonding

Weak interlayer bond strength caused by layer-by-layer production in fused filament fabrication (FFF) restricts the application of this manufacturing method in load-bearing parts. The interlayer bond strength can be enhanced through the proper selection of 3D printing parameters that affect the thermal history within the interface. In this study, the effects of nozzle temperature, chamber temperature, and layer height on interlayer bond quality of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) 3D printed parts were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). Tensile test samples were fabricated with the layers perpendicular to the testing direction, and nozzle temperature and layer height were found to be the most important parameters affecting bond strength. The interlayer bonding quality was significantly enhanced through optimization of parameters as the 3D printed parts reached the tensile strength tensile stress and Young's modulus of 93% and 96% of compression molded PPS parts, respectively. Chemical resistance tests were also performed on the 3D printed parts, and the samples showed less than 1% weight increase and 5% decrease in tensile strength after two weeks of immersion in automobile chemicals suggesting the promising performance of the parts for under-the-hood applications in the automotive industry.