Synthesis and characterization of enhanced conductivity acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene based composites suitable for fused filament fabrication

Abstract This work reports on the design and preparation of composites based on a high impact acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene polymer matrix filled either with aluminium microparticles or graphite nanoplatelets. A surfactant and tin were further added to improve the dispersion and adhesion of the fillers in an attempt to improve the conductivity of the materials. The composites were obtained via twin‐screw extrusion and their performance in fused filament fabrication was successfully tested and compared with other conventional ways of manufacturing plastic parts. Furthermore, the composites were characterized in terms of structure, composition, and thermal/electrical properties. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopies, as well as energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry, allowed to confirm the presence of added particles and their dispersion within the polymer matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry and conductivity measurements completed the study and revealed enhanced conductivity in the composites as well as a huge decrease in electrical resistivity of the graphite nanoplatelets‐filled nanocomposites, thus resulting in semiconductor materials.