Experimental Study of Reinforcing Mechanical Properties of Nylon-11 by Selective Laser Sintering

The main objective of this project was to study the effect of diatomaceous earth (DE) on nylon-11 reinforcement. A Selective Laser Sintering™ (SLS) (SLS uses a high-powered laser to sinter small particles of powdered material to create solid 3D parts) machine was used to sinter polymers with different percentages of DE to form composite mixtures and then rapidly prototype into the tensile bars to be tested in the tensile testing machine. The outcome of the investigation definitely indicated that DE is a feasible option for use as a reinforcement to strengthen the physical properties of polyamides when used in rapid prototyping.