Streamlining Polymeric Blend Production: Mechanical and Thermal Evaluation of PP/ABS Blends via Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) 3D Printing

3D printing refers to the process of producing physical objects from a computer model. With the ongoing advancements in technology, the introduction of printers equipped with fused granular fabrication (FGF) technology has significantly broadened the range of usable materials. This innovation also enables the mixing of materials during the printing process, thereby reducing costs associated with manufacturing mixtures and blends. This article aims to evaluate the mechanical properties of blends of polypropylene (PP) with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) manufactured in a printer with FGF technology. Tensile and compressive strength, impact resistance, shore D hardness and hardness were performed. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). The results of the pure material and the blends were compared. For mechanical performance, there was no improvement in the parameters evaluated. The blends exhibited more ductile failure behavior than for the pure materials. Despite the easier manufacturing and reduction of thermal processes, the manufacture of PP and ABS blends did not present advantages other than the increase in the degree of crystallization of the PP matrix.