Preparation and Properties of 3D Printing High Performance Polymer Composite for Aerospace Ap-plication

Composite materials are essential material for aircraft structures. Their main advantage is connected to the possibility of deeply reducing weight and costs by maintaining high performances in terms of strength and security. In this study, dumbbell shaped nylon-6 (PA-6)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite wires were prepared using nylon as matrix and carbon nanotubes as reinforcement by twin-screw extruder. The prepared PA-6/CNT composite wires were printed into dumbbell shaped spline test pieces using a raised 3D printer through melt deposition molding. The properties of nylon-carbon nanotube composite were tested, and the effects of different proportions of carbon nanotubes on the properties of nylon-carbon nanotube composite were studied. The experimental results reveled that CNTs effectively enhanced the mechanical properties of nylon-6, such as the tensile strength and Young's modulus. When the mass fraction of CNTs is 0.2%, the tensile strength is the highest, which is 165% higher than pure nylon. When the mass fraction of CNTs is 1%, the Young's modulus is the highest, which is 83% higher than pure nylon. The addition of carbon nanotubes also increased the melting point of nylon-6. This study has important theoretical significance and engineering value for the application of non-metallic matrix composite in the aerospace industry.