Crystallisation behaviour of polypropylene in fused deposition modelling process

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 440 - 449, 30.06.2025

Murat Çelik

https://doi.org/10.29109/gujsc.1626366

Abstract

Additive manufacturing technologies have gained significant attention due to their inherent flexibility when compared to traditional manufacturing processes. In the most commonly used additive manufacturing method, Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), typically thermoplastic polymer materials are extruded layer by layer to produce three-dimensional parts. The production of semi-crystalline polymer materials using the FDM process, which are significantly affected by temperature changes in terms of their crystallisation behaviour, impacts the mechanical properties due to high cooling rates in FDM. In this study, the crystallisation behaviour of polypropylene during the FDM process was examined. In this context, a heat transfer model was initially created to simulate layer-by-layer production in an FDM printer, which estimates the temperature profile in the part. This model was then coupled to a crystallisation model to predict the evolution of relative crystallinity across the layers. The results show that the crystallisation rate of the part, and consequently its mechanical properties, can be altered by carefully adjusting the heating and cooling processes during the process.

Keywords

additive manufacturing, fused deposition modelling, crystallisation

Eriyik yığma modelleme işlemi esnasında polipropilenin kristalizasyon davranışı

Abstract

Eklemeli imalat teknolojileri, geleneksel imalat yöntemlerine kıyasla daha fazla esnekliğe izin veren doğaları nedeniyle giderek popülerleşmektedir. Bu teknolojilerin en yaygın kullanılan çeşidi olan eriyik yığma modelleme (EYM) işleminde çoğunlukla termoplastik polimer malzemeler katmanlar halinde serilerek üç boyutlu parçalar üretilir. Kristalizasyon davranışı sıcaklık değişimlerinden oldukça fazla etkilenen yarı kristal polimer malzemelerin EYM ile üretiminde, işlemdeki yüksek soğuma hızları mekanik özellikler üzerinde etkili olmaktadır. Bu çalışmada polipropilen türü yarı kristal malzemenin EYM işlemi esnasındaki kristalizasyon davranışı incelenmiştir. Bu bağlamda öncelikle katmanlı üretim metodunu simüle ederek sıcaklık profilini tahmin bir ısı transferi oluşturulmuş, bu model daha sonra kristalizasyon kinetiğini hesaplayan bir başka modelle iki taraflı olarak bağlanmıştır. Geliştirilen model farklı üretim parametrelerindeki kristalizasyon oranını eş zamanlı olarak tahmin edebilmektedir. Sonuçlar, malzeme kristalizasyon oranının ve buna bağlı olarak mekanik özelliklerin, EYM işlemi esnasındaki ısıtma ve soğutma işlemlerinin dikkatli şekilde ayarlanarak değiştirilebileceğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

eklemeli imalat, eriyik yığma modelleme, üç boyutlu yazıcılar, kristalizasyon

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