Printability and thermomechanical metrics of high-density polyethylene doped with nano antimony TiN oxide

Abstract

This research focuses on the effect of Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) filler on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymers in 3D printing. Initially, the polymer and filler were blended and melt-extruded into filaments with uniform filler dispersion and fine surface quality. The filaments were used to create 3D-printed specimens according to international standards that were subjected to tensile, flexural, and impact testing, along with other key characterizations such as Raman, SEM, TGA, micro-computed tomography, and rheological analyses. The results showed that the tensile strength was improved by 20. 9% at 6% ATO loading. The flexural strength reached its maximum (23.9%) at the same loading. These results suggest that 6% ATO loading optimally enhances both tensile and flexural strengths, after which further increases in ATO content do not improve and may even reduce the mechanical performance. These results represent a novel contribution to the literature, highlighting the novel application of HDPE and its nanocomposites in 3D printing. By enhancing material durability, this work demonstrates the potential of HDPE-based nanocomposite filaments to achieve greater resilience and performance. Furthermore, HDPE bulk materials reinforced with ATO show promise for scaling up a variety of industries that benefit from extrusion processes.

Keywords

• Fused filament fabrication (FFF)
• 3D printing
• nanocomposites
• tensile strength
• high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
• antimony tin oxide (ATO)