Experimental investigation of degradation in the marine environment of FDM-based 3D printed specimens

Abstract

Additive manufacturing technology, commonly known as 3D printing, is used to create three-dimensional objects. In 3D printing, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a solid-based additive manufacturing technique. For FDM-printed parts used in environments with humidity or marine exposure, understanding polymer degradation is essential to ensure long-term performance. In this work, degradation was investigated in terms of tensile strength reduction using two different environments. The study also focused on how different raw materials and FDM process parameters influence the tensile strength of 3D-printed parts. Two different environments were considered: an artificial seawater environment (simulated) and a natural seawater environment (marine). The materials used in this study are Nylon, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG), and Polylactic Acid (PLA). The samples were stored for 30 days in both environments to examine changes in tensile strength. The experimental results revealed a decrease in tensile strength due to degradation, with reductions of 31–44 % in Nylon, 15–25 % in ABS, 17–28 % in PETG, and 26–35 % in PLA. It is understood that degradation resistance and mechanical retention are crucial for optimizing the performance and reliability of 3D-printed components in marine and offshore environments. The degradation of polymer molecules in artificial seawater is primarily influenced by hydrolytic reactions.