Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Parts Made of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol

Fused deposition modeling (FDM), one of various additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, has revolutionized the manufacturing industry, from the development of concept models to the creation of functional parts. FDM uses a wide variety of materials to create 3D-printed parts. However, most FDM printers in the market use polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic materials for their good mechanical properties and low cost. Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) has recently gained considerable attention due to its enhanced properties. Despite the potential attraction of PETG in the 3D printing industry, very few studies have investigated its mechanical properties, such as toughness, tensile strength, elongation at break, yield strength, and tensile modulus, which would then lead to the development of more reliable standards for testing and inspection. In this paper, the mechanical properties of PETG, as well as the mechanical properties of two popular FDM materials, PLA and ABS, are investigated and compared. A total of 75 tensile tests were carried out in order to investigate the effect of five different raster angle directions on mechanical properties. Adequate strength and high ductility were observed in PETG. Despite the ductility enhancement, PETG materials exhibited slight brittleness in tensile test results and scanning electron microscope analysis, which could be attributed to raster angle. According to the outcome of this investigation, recommendations for 3D printing of PETG material to fit the design and application will be provided. This can result in more accurate reference data for potential applications of these manufacturing technologies, as well as improved part and product quality.