Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of 3D-Printed PLAs

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a popular 3D printing material with a high decomposition rate and is used in various environmentally friendly applications such as biomedical and food-grade packaging. This work is focused on studying the properties of 3D-printed PLA samples irradiated with gamma radiation at the dosages of 5, 10, and 15 KGy using cobalt-60 gamma irradiation and is examined for the mechanical and thermal properties. The layer thickness of 0.4 mm and a rectilinear infill pattern with a 100% density is used. Mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, and Izod impact properties are studied. Dynamic mechanic analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometer, and thermal conductivity are used to study thermal stability. The effect of gamma irradiation on these mechanical and thermal properties is studied, and these studies show that gamma irradiation affects the mechanical and thermal properties of PLA.