Mechanical properties enhancement in composite material structures of poly‐lactic acid/epoxy/milled glass fibers prepared by fused filament fabrication and solution casting

Abstract Additive manufacturing technology can help us to produce complex components/parts easily. It can be used to develop the parts with multi‐material structures consisting of thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic, and ceramic fibers. This multi‐material structure enhances the performance of lightweight polymer‐based components. In this research work, poly‐lactic acid (PLA) lattice (mono‐material structure), PLA lattice filled with epoxy (bi‐material structure), and PLA lattice incorporated with embedded milled glass fibers (MGFs) in an epoxy matrix (tri‐material structure, TMS) were designed and developed by fused filament fabrication and solution casting methods. PLA lattice of 50% volume was fixed in all structures and 50% volume was filled with epoxy and MGFs. The dispersed MGFs in epoxy matrix were varied from 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 vol%. The mechanical properties were carried out by compression test, three‐point bending test, and tensile test. The results revealed that 5 vol% of MGFs in the epoxy sample (TMS) exhibited improved mechanical performances compared to other samples. The cone‐beam CT scan results confirmed the voids/porous free surfaces in the developed materials. The high‐resolution scanning electron microscope microstructural evolutions in‐terms of topography and fractured regions were also examined and reported.