Dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis of 3D-printed ABS/POE blends for tunable mechanical properties

This work presents a novel approach to fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing by integrating polyolefin elastomer (POE) into acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). While FDM is versatile and cost effective, the brittleness and poor impact resistance of ABS limit its applications. By incorporating 10–50 wt% POE, this work aimed to enhance the mechanical properties and printability of ABS/POE blends. The effects on processing, thermomechanical characteristics, phase structure, and mechanical performance were comprehensively evaluated. The addition of POE significantly increased the toughness of ABS, particularly at elevated temperatures, as indicated by higher tan δ values from dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). However, this led to an 84% reduction in storage modulus for the 50 wt% POE/ABS blend. Tensile tests showed more pronounced non-linear elastic–plastic response at higher POE contents, reducing ultimate tensile strength from 29.11 MPa to 9.51 MPa but increasing elongation-at-break value. Compression tests indicated strain softening effects, at 30 wt% POE, ABS/POE blend exhibiting a 300% spontaneous decrease in strength, likely due to chain slippage or phase separation. SEM analysis revealed greater phase cohesion and interdiffusion at higher POE contents, alongside increased surface roughness. This work demonstrated that a tailored balance of strength, flexibility, and printability could be achieved with ABS/POE blends, made them suitable for FDM-printed components across diverse industries and opened new opportunities for applications requiring enhanced durability and performance.

Graphical abstract