Enhancing the Mechanical Behaviour of Fused Filament Fabricated Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Poly-lactic Acid

Mechanical behaviour is affected by many fused filament fabrication parameters. If such components are meant for industrial use, this can become an important consideration. Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is the most promising material since it is biodegradable and lightweight. Because of its poor mechanical behaviour, PLA is still not widely used. Reinforcing PLA is one way to enhance its mechanical behaviour. The focus of this study is on carbon fibre (CF)-reinforced PLA specimens while considering the effects of nozzle diameter and infill pattern on mechanical behaviour, specifically flexural strength, compressive strength, and impact strength. The reinforcement provided by the high-modulus CFs causes PLA composites to produce superior mechanical characteristics. The impact strength, compressive strength, and flexural strength of CF-PLA composites were all determined with the help of experimental analysis. The validity of the experimental study was evaluated by the utilisation of statistical analysis on the gathered data from the mechanical testing of the specimens. The fracture mechanism of the sample was investigated using high-end microscopy. The compressive strength of the composites varied from 14.723 to 32.544 MPa, the flexural strength varied from 45.095 to 56.796 MPa, and the impact strength varied from 24.36 to 38.37 kJ/m2. Nozzle diameter had the primary influence on impact strength, whereas infill pattern had the primary influence on flexural strength and compressive strength. CFs greater stiffness results in increased structural support, making it the perfect material for frames, supports, shells, propellers, and tools.