Predicción de propiedades mecánicas de PoliÁcido Láctico (PLA) procesado mediante moldeo por compresión y fabricación aditiva (FDM)

Abstract

In response to the need to ensure some minimum design requirements in demanding industries such as the medical, automotive or aeronautical industrial sectors, there is a need to predict the mechanical behavior of polymeric materials. This mechanical behavior varies depending on the manufacturing process with which the final components are obtained. In this study, the case of the biodegradable polymer PolyLactic Acid (PLA) and the influence of the manufacturing process on its mechanical behavior are investigated. In particular, the material is mechanically characterized by uniaxial tensile and compression tests of test samples obtained by compression molding and additive manufacturing using the Filament Deposition Modeling technique (FDM). The Eyring – type flow equation is evaluated to describe the visco – elastic behavior of the yield stress. This model is known for being able to accurately describe the yield kinetics of polymeric materials (which will lead to component failure), taking into account one or more molecular deformation processes. This research demostrates the significant influence of the manufacturing process on the mechanical behavior of PLA. It furthermore shows a good correlation between experimental results and the Eyring – type flow model.