Functionally Modified Composites for FDM 3D Printing

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing is an additive manufacturing technique used to fabricate solid thermoplastic polymer objects directly from computer-modeled designs. The current uses for this technology are restricted due to a limited choice of materials, which offer minimal functionality to the printed 3D parts. To expand the application space for FDM-based 3D printing, this chapter is aimed to add functional attributes to printable polymers through the creation of thermoplastic composites. The work focuses on a simple fabrication method to create composite for FDM printing and analytical techniques to characterize dispersion, thermal, and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite. Lastly, the functional characteristics of the FDM printed nanocomposite including their conductivity, ferromagnetism, and radiation shielding properties were studied.