Effect of printing temperature on the mechanical properties of 3D printed polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) during simple and repeated impact tests

Abstract Fused filament manufacturing (FFF), also known as 3D printing, is one of the most commonly used additive manufacturing techniques for creating high-quality materials. This process demonstrates the intricacies and challenges involved in choosing appropriate manufacturing parameters to achieve the desired outcomes. Among these critical parameters is the nozzle temperature, which can be adjusted to enhance the mechanical properties of the 3D-printed Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) parts. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of the printing temperature on the mechanical properties and failure characteristics of 3D printed polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) parts during impact testing. To do this, a series of simple and repeated impact tests were carried out on printed PPS samples in the nozzle temperature range (320–350 °C). CHARPY tests were carried out on the samples manufactured with different sequences for the optimal orientation of the filaments. Furthermore, the impact energy absorption capacity and the induced damage as a function of nozzle temperature were evaluated. CHARPY test results showed that samples with stacking sequence (0/0) had the best impact resistance and specific absorbed energy (SEA). This sequence, printed horizontally, was used to test different print temperatures in single and repeated impact tests. Furthermore, the results indicated that samples printed with a nozzle temperature of 340 °C exhibited higher CHARPY impact resistance and specific absorbed energy (SEA), with a percentage difference of 45.57%, 41.95% and 44.21% compared to samples printed with nozzle temperatures of 320 °C, 330 °C and 350 °C respectively. For repeated impact tests, the results also show that samples printed with a nozzle temperature of 340 °C have a higher initial energy absorption rate and a greater number of impacts before complete failure of the sample. This result proves also that the changing of nozzle temperature does not have a significant effect on the induced damage after CHARPY and repeated impact.