Comparative study of 3DP material systems for moisture resistance applications

Purpose - To study the properties of three dimensional printing (3DP) materials systems which were directly in contact with water or exposure to humidity in order to help in deciding the appropriate system for moisture resistance applications. Design/methodology/approach - Two commercially available 3DP materials namely ZP 100 and ZP 15E were infiltrated with three commonly used infiltrants. All samples were subjected to three storage conditions including dry, room (55 percent RH) and wet (100 percent RH) for 168 h. Then they were characterized to compare the influence of storage conditions on properties such as dimensional change, moisture absorption and flexural properties including modulus, strength and strain at break. Findings - Amongst six material systems investigated in this study, it was observed that the combination of ZP 15E with acrylate infiltrant showed the greatest flexural properties in room and wet conditions. All infiltrated ZP 100 samples were not likely to be as suitable for using in moisture resistance environment as infiltrated ZP 15E samples especially when they were in direct contact with water. Using low moisture absorption infiltrant and 3DP materials that can absorb high amount of infiltration are needed to produce low moisture absorption system. Research limitations/implications - The moisture absorption experiment was done at 168 h. The values obtained from the report for some testing conditions, i.e. room environment may not be able to extend to long-term performance. Practical implications - The results presented here can be used as a guideline for 3DP materials selection for moisture resistance applications. Originality/value - This study demonstrated the governed factors that were needed to consider for using 3DP models in moisture resistance applications.