Evaluation of Surface Roughness of 3D Printed Objects

Lower surface roughness is a good quality indicator as it is directly related to mechanical strength, permeability, and aesthetic properties of printed three-dimensional (3D) objects. This study evaluated the effect of nanoclay and laser power on the surface properties of laser-sintered (LS) objects. LS specimens created from polyamide 12 (PA12) and composites were tested for surface roughness on top and bottom surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy with surface roughness tester were used to evaluate the surface morphology like surface roughness, melt-ability, and homogeneity of dispersion of nanoclay in the LS fused polymer matrix. This study’s findings demonstrate the importance of nanoclay as a filler in LS polymer-based 3D objects. Nanoclay particles interact with polymer particles via physical and chemical cross-links. These interactions increase the packing density of particles in 3D objects, which increases their surface smoothness. Thus, this study demonstrated that the addition of nanoclay to the LS polymeric powder with optimized laser power exhibited improved surface properties with an expectation to emerge new applications.