Dielectric strength heterogeneity associated with printing orientation in additively manufactured polymer materials

Anisotropy in dielectric properties can have deleterious effects in structures intended for use in high-field environments. We show that dielectric anisotropy is introduced into parts fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques based on the orientation in which the part is printed. Dielectric strength testing data, based on the ASTM D149 standard, are presented for samples fabricated using the polymer jetting (PolyJet), stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and selective laser sintering (SLS) additive manufacturing techniques. Each unique printing direction available, based on the printing method, was examined in turn. Each printing technique was found to introduce anisotropic dielectric properties within the sample coupons that were a function of the original orientation in which the part was printed, and the direction of structural susceptibility was found to be print-method dependent. Differences in dielectric strength for coupons printed in different orientations were found to exceed 70% for some combinations of printing technique and polymer. Overall, test coupons printed with stereolithography (SLA) were found to exhibit the lowest degree of dielectric strength anisotropy between print orientations. Dielectric failure mechanisms are discussed.