DEVELOPMENT OF FILAMENTS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF ABS WITH DIFFERENT CARBON MATERIALS FOR ELECTRONIC HOUSING

Abstract

Filament Fusion Fabrication (FFF) is an additive manufacturing process that presents many advantages, such as low cost, design variety, and flexibility for modifications. However, to scale this process for new industrial applications, multifunctional and processable materials are needed. In this way, electromagnetic shielding is required for electronics housing, and thermoplastics nanocomposites modified with carbon material can be used for these applications. In this study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), graphene nanoplates (GNP), and nanometric carbon black (CB) will be used. In this regard, Brazil already has national pilot plants for producing MWCNT and GNP, and the Brazilian government is supporting projects to apply them. This work proposes the development of nanocomposites using a copolymer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) as a matrix, one of the most applied thermoplastics in the FFF process and the electronics industry. The ABS will be modified with carbon nanofillers (MWCNT, GNP, and CB), and compare Brazilian GNP and MWCNT performance aiming to reduce the final cost of the product and make it competitive. First, the extrusion process will produce the filaments of nanocomposites with a single nanofillers and hybrids systems (mix of them). Second, specimens will be produced by the FFF process, varying printing parameters aiming at optimizing the specimen's mechanical and EMI SE properties, and injection molded specimens will be prepared to evaluate the FFF process effect compared to the bulk material. Finally, the printed specimens will be characterized by mechanical tests (uniaxial tensile and Izod impact resistance), thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic-mechanical analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis), electrical impedance, electromagnetic shielding efficiency (EMI SE), and morphological evaluation. As a main result, it is expected to understand this technology better and obtain multifunctional nanocomposite filaments with thermal, mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties for making electronics housing parts.