Effects of high⁃temperature and high⁃pressure airflows on product performance in gas⁃assisted 3D printing of TPU

doi:10.19491/j.issn.1001-9278.2025.09.013

Abstract

Abstract:

In this study， a novel high⁃temperature， high⁃pressure gas⁃assisted 3D printing method was proposed to enhance interlayer bonding strength in polymer additive manufacturing. Using thermoplastic polyurethane （TPU） as a model material， the effects of this approach on the temperature field distribution， tensile strength， cross⁃sectional morphology， and surface chemistry of printed parts were systematically investigated. Experimental results indicated that the gas⁃assisted process achieved a uniform， elevated temperature field in TPU filaments， promoting effective interlayer fusion while maintaining low porosity （≤2 %）. This optimization leads to a 96 % improvement in tensile strength compared to conventional 3D printing methods. Furthermore， surface characterization confirmed that high⁃temperature oxygen exposure did not induce thermal oxidation or chemical degradation of the printed material. These findings established an effective strategy for significantly improving the mechanical performance of polymer 3D⁃printed components without compromising material integrity.

Key words: gas?assisted, inter?layer bonding, temperature field, mechanical strength

CLC Number:

TQ323.8

LIU Yinglan, XIAO Jianhua, GAO Yanfeng, XU Shikang. Effects of high⁃temperature and high⁃pressure airflows on product performance in gas⁃assisted 3D printing of TPU[J]. China Plastics, 2025, 39(9): 81-85.

Figures/Tables 11

Fig.1. Gas⁃assisted 3D printing

Fig.2. Mechanism of Gas⁃assisted 3D printing

Fig.3. Gas⁃assisted nozzle

Fig.4. Experimental system of gas⁃assisted 3D printing

3D打印参数	TPU
层厚/mm	0.10
填充率/%	100
填充模式	线性
打印速度/mm·s^-1	20
丝材直径/mm	1.75
喷嘴直径/mm	1.00
取向角/°	±0
喷嘴温度/℃	210
平台温度/℃	0

Tab.1. 3D Print parameters of TPU

3D 打印参数	TPU
气体温度/℃	210
气体压力/MPa	0.15
气体流量/L·min^-1	2.00

Tab.2. Gas⁃assisted 3D printing parameters of TPU

Fig.5. Temperature filed of TPU 3D printing

Fig.6. Inter⁃layer bonding strength of TPU 3D printing

Fig.7. TPU tensile fracture surface

Fig.8. FTIR spectra and XPS survey scan spectra of TPU

Fig.9. O1s high resolution XPS spectrum of TPU

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