ABSTRACT
Polyamide (nylon) 11 (PA11) is a commonly used material in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), but it has poor thermal and electrical properties. Previous research has shown that nanoscale additives, such as multi-wall nanotubes (MWNT) can be combined with PA11 powder to improve these properties. Previous experimentation has dealt with samples that have been fabricated using injection molding and not the SLS process. This project emphasizes the experimentation of using nanocomposite materials in actual SLS builds. The material used is PA11 pulverized together with 7 weight percent (wt%) of MWNT. PA11 that has been twin-screw extruded with 3 wt% of MWNT will also be investigated.SLSprocess parameters were adjusted to optimize mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. An electrically conductive PA11 nanocomposite that achieved ESD rating was developed with impressive electrical, no change in thermal, and comparable mechanical properties.
