Textile and Apparel Science

Comparative Study on the Adhesion Strength of 3D-printed Flex Polymers on Natural and Synthetic Textiles Substrates

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Abstract

Recent expansions into flex filaments (TPU/TPE) have sparked a newfound interest in developing polymer-textile composites. To further advance this research area, there is an incessant need to examine and compare the differences in adhesion strength between natural versus synthetic textile substrates with flex polymers. The printing process was prepared through a fused filament fabrication (FFF) machine model i3 MK3S+ by Original Prusa. Seven types of textile substrates composed of synthetic or natural fibers were sampled in this study.Our results have shown synthetic knit-TPU and synthetic woven-TPU combinations to achieve adhesive strengths comparable to commercially available epoxy adhesives and high-strength bonding tapes. In conclusion, to achieve optimal adhesion in PTC, practitioners may wish to use TPU/TPE on synthetic fabrics, in particular knit, due to the pore structure found in knitted fabrics and the polar interactions between TPU/TPE and synthetic substrates.

Keywords: Adhesion, Flexible polymer-textile composite, Fused Filament Fabrication, Peel resistance

How to Cite:

Cheung, T. & Choi, S., (2022) “Comparative Study on the Adhesion Strength of 3D-printed Flex Polymers on Natural and Synthetic Textiles Substrates”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.15769