An investigation on the physico-mechanical and tribological wear properties of additively manufactured new class of aluminium powder reinforced PETG composites

Purpose The current study aims to investigate the synergistic effect of adding aluminium (Al) powder (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5 and 15 Wt.%) to the polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) matrix for 3D printing applications. Design/methodology/approach PETG/Al composite filament was used as a feedstock to fabricate 3D-printed samples via material extrusion (MEX) to investigate physical properties (density, Shore D hardness and water absorption), flexural properties and tribological properties. Findings The addition of Al particles fills the microgaps within the composite and reduces free volume, resulting in a more compact structure. The 3D-printed PETG/15.0Al sample showed improvements in density and hardness by 45.26% and 6.67%, respectively, while a reduction in water absorption value by 71.34% compared to the neat PETG sample. In addition, the flexural test revealed that PETG/2.5Al and PETG/7.5Al samples exhibited enhanced flexural stress of 45.42% and 33.11%, respectively, accompanied by increases in flexural modulus (Ef) of 16.79% and 17.55%, respectively. The wear analysis revealed that the PETG, PETG/2.5Al and PETG/7.5Al samples exhibited wear losses of 35.89%, 35.54% and 35.29%, respectively, while PETG/12.5Al exhibited the lowest wear loss, indicating an optimal filler content for tribological performance. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents one of the first systematic investigations of Al powder as a reinforcement in PETG for MEX 3D printing. Although PETG is widely used in MEX due to its good processability and balanced mechanical performance, limited research has examined the influence of metal particle reinforcement on its combined physical, mechanical and tribological properties. The incorporation of Al particles demonstrated improved load transfer characteristics and enhanced resistance to shear-induced material removal, highlighting the potential of PETG-metal composites for functional 3D-printed applications.