Laser annealing-integrated 3D printing of PP/BN composites: mechanical and thermal performance
摘要
This study investigates the enhancement of polypropylene (PP) through reinforcement with hexagonal boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles and post-process laser annealing. Composite filaments with BN loadings of 1.0 to 5.0 wt% were produced via twin-screw extrusion and subsequently used to fabricate specimens via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of the printed composites were evaluated. Results demonstrated that laser annealing significantly improved the material’s performance, yielding a 21% increase in tensile strength over unannealed PP. Furthermore, Shore D hardness rose by 10.64% with higher BN content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed enhanced crystallinity following annealing, and thermal conductivity measurements also showed improvement. These findings underscore the synergistic effect of BN reinforcement and laser annealing in advancing the structural performance of PP-based composites, highlighting their strong potential for advanced engineering and industrial applications.