Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Activated Carbon (AC) is widely available at a relatively low cost, has a high porosity and is commonly used as a filter material for a range of applications. However, it is a brittle and friable material. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymer is a tough engineering plastic that...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3320 |
| _version_ | 1797408242365628416 |
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| author | Yas Khalil Neil Hopkinson Adam J. Kowalski John Patrick A. Fairclough |
| author_facet | Yas Khalil Neil Hopkinson Adam J. Kowalski John Patrick A. Fairclough |
| author_sort | Yas Khalil |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Activated Carbon (AC) is widely available at a relatively low cost, has a high porosity and is commonly used as a filter material for a range of applications. However, it is a brittle and friable material. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymer is a tough engineering plastic that has been used as a binder. The traditional method used in manufacturing AC/UHMWPE filters involves compressing AC/UHMWPE composite powder during heating in a mould. This process compresses the particles together and the materials undergo sintering. This process results in a low pore interconnectivity, which has a considerable impact on the filter’s efficiency. Selective Laser Sintering is a laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing technique for polymers. This has a number of advantages compared to the conventional technique and produces a porous structure with improved filtration efficiency. We propose that this is due to the greater pore interconnectivity. In this work, AC/UHMWPE powdered composites were prepared with different AC and UHMWPE ratios. The structure and properties of the AC/UHMWPE composite were investigated and characterised to assess their suitability for selective laser sintering. Particle size and morphology analysis were conducted, as well as density measurements, powder flow, thermal analysis, and crystallinity measurements. The results reveal that the addition of AC improves the UHMWPE flow. The thermal analysis results show that the intrinsic thermal properties of UHMWPE powder are not significantly affected by the introduction of activated carbon. However, thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that the onset of mass loss is considerably shifted (20 °C) to higher temperatures for the AC/UHMWPE composites, which is favourable for laser sintering. Additionally, the change in the composition ratio of untreated composite does not have a significant effect on the degree of crystallinity. Laser-sintered AC/UHMWPE parts were successfully manufactured using a commercial laser-sintering machine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:56:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b95a54d92484cc283b67e89c6511aa9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:56:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b95a54d92484cc283b67e89c6511aa92023-12-03T14:20:07ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-08-011416332010.3390/polym14163320Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed FusionYas Khalil0Neil Hopkinson1Adam J. Kowalski2John Patrick A. Fairclough3Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HQ, UKStratasys Ltd., 5-6 William Lee Buildings, Science Park, Nottingham NG7 2RQ, UKUnilever plc, R&D Port Sunlight Laboratory, Wirral CH63 3JW, UKDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HQ, UKActivated Carbon (AC) is widely available at a relatively low cost, has a high porosity and is commonly used as a filter material for a range of applications. However, it is a brittle and friable material. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymer is a tough engineering plastic that has been used as a binder. The traditional method used in manufacturing AC/UHMWPE filters involves compressing AC/UHMWPE composite powder during heating in a mould. This process compresses the particles together and the materials undergo sintering. This process results in a low pore interconnectivity, which has a considerable impact on the filter’s efficiency. Selective Laser Sintering is a laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing technique for polymers. This has a number of advantages compared to the conventional technique and produces a porous structure with improved filtration efficiency. We propose that this is due to the greater pore interconnectivity. In this work, AC/UHMWPE powdered composites were prepared with different AC and UHMWPE ratios. The structure and properties of the AC/UHMWPE composite were investigated and characterised to assess their suitability for selective laser sintering. Particle size and morphology analysis were conducted, as well as density measurements, powder flow, thermal analysis, and crystallinity measurements. The results reveal that the addition of AC improves the UHMWPE flow. The thermal analysis results show that the intrinsic thermal properties of UHMWPE powder are not significantly affected by the introduction of activated carbon. However, thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that the onset of mass loss is considerably shifted (20 °C) to higher temperatures for the AC/UHMWPE composites, which is favourable for laser sintering. Additionally, the change in the composition ratio of untreated composite does not have a significant effect on the degree of crystallinity. Laser-sintered AC/UHMWPE parts were successfully manufactured using a commercial laser-sintering machine.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3320additive manufacturing3D printinglaser sinteringUHMWPEactivated carbonpolymer composite |
| spellingShingle | Yas Khalil Neil Hopkinson Adam J. Kowalski John Patrick A. Fairclough Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Polymers additive manufacturing 3D printing laser sintering UHMWPE activated carbon polymer composite |
| title | Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion |
| title_full | Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion |
| title_short | Investigating the Feasibility of Processing Activated Carbon/UHMWPE Polymer Composite Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion |
| title_sort | investigating the feasibility of processing activated carbon uhmwpe polymer composite using laser powder bed fusion |
| topic | additive manufacturing 3D printing laser sintering UHMWPE activated carbon polymer composite |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3320 |
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