Tribological Properties of Different 3D Printed PLA Filaments

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is generally used to fabricate complex geometry structures and it has found applicability in various industries, such as the biomedical, aerospace, automotive, and building industries. As the mechanical properties and tribological behaviour of the 3D printing components are critical during operation, it is necessary to study the influence of process parameters and chemical composition on these specific characteristics. The paper aims to determine the coefficient of friction and wear behaviour of three different 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) materials in contact with a metallic counterbody. 3D printing process of the proposed PLA filaments was achieved by applying the FDM technique, using same deposition parameters for all three types of materials. Tribological characteristics of the 3D printed polymers were evaluated using pin-on-disk method and a comparison among the obtained frictional features of the specimens has been analyzed. The printed PLA samples show significant differences in sliding wear behaviour, the material loss of Co-reinforced PLA specimen is much more substantial than that obtained for PLA and tough PLA samples, due to the presence of metallic particles, hence for this specimen, an inferior wear resistance is attributed.