Anisotropy limitations in additive manufacturing with material extrusion

Achieving anisotropy in additively manufactured composites is essential for high-performance functional materials but remains challenging in fused filament fabrication (FFF). This study investigates a field-assisted FFF approach using strontium hexaferrite (SrFe12O19)–polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites, in which particle alignment is induced by processing on top of a high-strength neodymium–iron–boron (Nd–Fe–B) magnet. Two configurations were compared: (i) a continuous setup, where the growing printed material remains in direct contact with the magnet and can act as a flux-guiding core, and (ii) a spacer-based setup, where non-magnetic spacers separate the print from the field source. Structural, functional (magnetic) measurements and finite element simulations (FEMM) were used to quantify the evolution of anisotropy as a function of build height. In the continuous configuration, particle alignment—and thus macroscopic anisotropy—remains high up to about 20 mm, with 0.90, and then gradually declines while still being detectable at 57.5 mm. Spacer-printed samples lose anisotropy much earlier, with approaching isotropic values (∼0.5) beyond 20–25 mm. Simulations reproduce these trends and show that previously deposited material acts as a flux-guiding path, sustaining a predominantly uniaxial field with height. The results define practical limits for static-field alignment in material-extrusion processing and provide geometry-dependent design rules for scalable fabrication of anisotropic ceramic–polymer composites. The findings are relevant for materials and process design in applications where controlled anisotropy is required over centimetre-scale dimensions.