Evaluation of the Properties of 3D-Printed Onyx–Fiberglass Composites

Abstract

This study evaluated the properties of 3D-printed Onyx–fiberglass composites. These composites were 3D-printed with zero, one, two, three, and four layers of fiberglass. Ten samples of each configuration were printed for the tensile and flexural tests. The average tensile strength of the Onyx specimens was calculated to be 44.79 MPa, which increased linearly by approximately 20–25 MPa with each additional fiberglass layer. The elastic moduli calculated from the micromechanics models were compared with the experimental values obtained from the tensile tests. The experimental elastic modulus increased more significantly than the model prediction when more fiberglass layers were added. The flexural modulus of Onyx was 17.6 GPa, which increased with each additional fiberglass layer. This quantitative analysis of composites fabricated using 3D printing highlights their potential for commercialization and industrial applications.

Keywords

• 3D printing
• onyx
• fiberglass
• composite
• tensile test
• 3-point bending test