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Mechanical Flexural Characterization of Composite Materials with Photopolymer Matrix Reinforced with Abaca and Cabuya Fibers Using 3D Printing

Abstract:

Composite materials and 3D printing currently constitute an alternative for manufacturing automotive parts. The objective of the present research was to characterize a material composed by a photopolymer resin matrix reinforced with natural abaca and cabuya fibers and made by 3D printing, for its application in auto parts manufacturing. The directional grid of the air conditioning duct of an automotive is selected as the subject of study, and its mechanical characteristics are compared by means of experimental analysis and computational simulation. A composite volumetric reinforcement fiber with a fraction of 20% in the two types of fibers, was proposed for manufacturing the test specimens, and the bending test was carried out according to the ASTM 790 standard. As a result of the mechanical characterization of the manufactured materials, it was obtained that the maximum bending stress of the compounds reinforced with abaca (77.53 MPa) and cabuya (83.26 MPa) decreased with respect to the matrix material (92.77 MPa), while the modulus of elasticity to bending of the compounds reinforced with abaca (2211,33 MPa) and cabuya (1806,03 MPa) increased with respect to the matrix material (1689,64 MPa). This indicates an increase in the rigidity of the characterized materials, making possible the substitution of the matrix material.