Study on the polymer material infiltrating metallic parts by selective laser sintering of 3D printing

Purpose Metal green parts fabricated by indirect selective laser sintering (SLS) have lower mechanical properties, and thus, they cannot satisfy practical application. To enhance their performance, two polymer resins were compounded as a modified material to infiltrate into the metal parts by SLS. Design/methodology/approach The viscosity and glass-transition temperature were tested by a viscometer and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The microstructure and morphology of the interface of parts by polymer resin infiltrated were observed to be using scanning electron microscopy. The tensile strength of sample parts was tested, too. The temperature tolerances of two mass ratio polymer materials were tested and compared by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Findings Compared to those without being polymer material infiltrated, the results of test showed that the tensile strength of the metallic parts is enhanced obviously, about four times. In addition, the analysis of TGA showed that the resin of mass ratio of 2:1 can be endured up to 200 degrees and can be used as infiltrating materials for metal parts. Originality/value Therefore, plastic injection mold and function part can be manufactured by this method.