Low cycle fatigue behaviour of additively manufactured short glass fiber-reinforced PLA composites subjected to non-symmetric loading
摘要
This study investigates the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of additively manufactured short glass fiber-reinforced PLA composites (SGFRPCs) fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM) method under asymmetric (non-zero mean stress) loading. Two printing parameters i.e., layer height (0.1–0.2 mm) and infill density (80–100%) were varied to examine their coupled influence on porosity formation and fatigue performance. Flexural tests revealed strengths ranging from 31.85 MPa (GPC7) to 51.81 MPa (GPC6) and moduli between 1.85 and 3.10 GPa, highlighting the effect of interlayer bonding and infill density on stiffness. Fatigue tests conducted in three-point bending mode (stress ratio R of 0.1 and frequency of 5 Hz) showed early failure around 1000 cycles, with GPC6 exhibiting the highest fatigue resistance. The Coffin–Manson model captured strain-life behavior with ductility exponents (c ≈ − 0.002 to − 0.004), reflecting viscoelastic-dominated fatigue. X-ray microCT analysis quantified pore volumes from 7.44 mm³ (GPC9) to 12.93 mm³ (GPC4) and demonstrated that higher layer thickness and lower infill density produced larger and more connected voids, accelerating crack initiation and propagation. Conversely, denser and thinner-layered samples exhibited reduced porosity, higher tortuosity (up to 1.33), and longer fatigue life.