Mechanical Properties Of Pvb 3d Printed Output Fumigated With Ethanol

FDM 3D printing structures have rough surfaces and require post-treatment to improve the properties. Fumigation is a representative technique for removing surface unevenness. Surface treatment by fumigation proceeds by dissolving the surface of the protruding structure using a vaporized solvent. In this study, 3D printed PVB outputs are surface-treated with ethyl-alcohol fumigation. As the fumigation time increases, the surface flattens as ethanol dissolves the mountains on the surface of PVB and the surface valleys are filled with dissolved PVB. Through the fumigation process, the mechanical strength tends to decrease, and deformation rate increases. Ethanol vapor permeates into PVB, widening the distance between chains and resulting in weak bonding strength between chains. In order to confirm the effect of fumigation only, an annealing process is performed at 80 degrees C for 1, 5, 10, 30, and 50 minutes and the results of the fumigation are compared.