Architecture influence on acoustic performance, EMI shielding, electrical and thermal, properties of 3D printed PLA/graphite/molybdenum disulfide composites

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is one of the most emerging techniques nowadays. Affordable, easy to use, economical, for a broad audience − from specialists to home users. These are only several of its advantages. A disadvantage is the limited number of available filament types, especially those with high performance. Therefore, the aim of the work was to investigate the properties of custom–made filament printouts based on polylactic (PLA), graphite (G) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). This work looked at structural and thermal analysis, acoustic performance, EMI shielding, and electrical and thermal properties, including thermal conductivity and heat diffusivity. The following were considered during the study: type of printing architecture, infill density, and filament formulations. Among the best values, which were obtained for the highest loaded sample based on 15 wt% graphite and 2 wt% MoS2 (G15/M2), where EMI shielding effectiveness surpassed SETOT ∼ 17 dB (per 1 mm sample thickness), electrical conductivity remained at a low level. It exceeded σ ∼ 0.2 S/m; thermal conductivity was slightly over κ ∼ 0.4 W/mK, and heat diffusivity was almost α ∼ 0.4 mm2/s. This work is the first step in designing high-performance materials dedicated to advanced applications based on the FFF technique.