Modal, mechanical and micrographic analysis of carbon fiber-reinforced polylactic acid scaffold printed using fused deposition modeling

Purpose Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has gained much attention in recent years for producing porous scaffolds due to its customization, cost-effectiveness and compatibility with biodegradable materials. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of infill density, raster angle orientation and infill pattern on the mechanical and dynamic behavior of composite scaffolds. This study aims to optimize scaffold designs for applications requiring enhanced mechanical strength and vibration characteristics. Design/methodology/approach In this research work, carbon fiber-reinforced polylactic acid composite scaffolds are fabricated with different infill densities of 40%, 50% and 60% and raster angle orientations of 0°, 45° and 90°. Findings The free vibration test is performed on the scaffold printed with different infill patterns of circle, square and hexagonal shapes and infill densities of 40%, 50% and 60%. The natural frequency of the scaffolds produced by PLA/CF composites is determined experimentally. The scaffold (V9) with a hexagon infill pattern and 60% infill density has the highest value of natural frequency of 19.53 Hz. The mechanical properties, such as tensile, flexural, impact and hardness are determined experimentally. Originality/value The results showed that the composite scaffold (S9) with 60% infill density and 90° raster angle orientation has obtained high mechanical properties when compared with other scaffolds. Using scanning electron microscopy, the fractured composite scaffolds are analyzed to visualize the adhesion behavior of carbon fiber and polymer matrix.