Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation

Material extrusion is currently the primary method for manufacturing fibre-reinforced polymer composites. However, its limitations in extrusion force and material selection restrict its broader application. In this study, a screw-based online mixing extrusion system was developed for carbon fibre-re...

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Main Authors: Siwei Lu, Yunze Wang, Beining Zhang, Jincang Bai, Chuncheng Yang, Yi Cao, Changning Sun, Dichen Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Virtual and Physical Prototyping
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2441964
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author Siwei Lu
Yunze Wang
Beining Zhang
Jincang Bai
Chuncheng Yang
Yi Cao
Changning Sun
Dichen Li
author_facet Siwei Lu
Yunze Wang
Beining Zhang
Jincang Bai
Chuncheng Yang
Yi Cao
Changning Sun
Dichen Li
author_sort Siwei Lu
collection DOAJ
description Material extrusion is currently the primary method for manufacturing fibre-reinforced polymer composites. However, its limitations in extrusion force and material selection restrict its broader application. In this study, a screw-based online mixing extrusion system was developed for carbon fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites. The extrusion screw design was optimised using numerical simulation to enhance the mechanical properties of the printed parts. Simulation results indicated that the length of the metering section and the pitch have the greatest impact on extrusion pressure, while pin diameter and height significantly affect the mixing quality. The optimised screw with pins led to a 34% increase in extrusion pressure and a 73% enhancement in mixing degree, compared to that of the initial screw. Mechanical testing revealed that composite specimens produced with the optimised pin screw exhibited 27%, 36%, and 63% improvements in tensile strength, flexural strength, and interlayer shear strength, respectively, over those produced with the initial screw. Microscopic analysis showed that the enhanced performance was attributed to better interlayer bonding and improved fibre dispersion. This study presents a new paradigm for screw configuration design for screw extrusion-based 3D printing systems.
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id doaj-art-bdd3b07bbaab44f39a3bc3f6330d28f4
institution DOAJ
issn 1745-2759
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language English
publishDate 2025-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Virtual and Physical Prototyping
spelling doaj-art-bdd3b07bbaab44f39a3bc3f6330d28f42025-08-20T02:39:47ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirtual and Physical Prototyping1745-27591745-27672025-12-0120110.1080/17452759.2024.2441964Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisationSiwei Lu0Yunze Wang1Beining Zhang2Jincang Bai3Chuncheng Yang4Yi Cao5Changning Sun6Dichen Li7State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaMaterial extrusion is currently the primary method for manufacturing fibre-reinforced polymer composites. However, its limitations in extrusion force and material selection restrict its broader application. In this study, a screw-based online mixing extrusion system was developed for carbon fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites. The extrusion screw design was optimised using numerical simulation to enhance the mechanical properties of the printed parts. Simulation results indicated that the length of the metering section and the pitch have the greatest impact on extrusion pressure, while pin diameter and height significantly affect the mixing quality. The optimised screw with pins led to a 34% increase in extrusion pressure and a 73% enhancement in mixing degree, compared to that of the initial screw. Mechanical testing revealed that composite specimens produced with the optimised pin screw exhibited 27%, 36%, and 63% improvements in tensile strength, flexural strength, and interlayer shear strength, respectively, over those produced with the initial screw. Microscopic analysis showed that the enhanced performance was attributed to better interlayer bonding and improved fibre dispersion. This study presents a new paradigm for screw configuration design for screw extrusion-based 3D printing systems.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2441964Screw configurationonline mixingoptimisationmaterial extrusionCF/PEEK composites
spellingShingle Siwei Lu
Yunze Wang
Beining Zhang
Jincang Bai
Chuncheng Yang
Yi Cao
Changning Sun
Dichen Li
Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Screw configuration
online mixing
optimisation
material extrusion
CF/PEEK composites
title Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
title_full Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
title_fullStr Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
title_short Enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
title_sort enhancing interlayer bonding and fibre dispersion of fibre reinforced polyether ether ketone composites prepared by online mixing extrusion through screw configuration optimisation
topic Screw configuration
online mixing
optimisation
material extrusion
CF/PEEK composites
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2441964
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