Optimizing the Mechanical Performance of Polypropylene Lattice Structures through Relative Density Modulation.

Abstract

This project investigates the influence of relative density on the mechanical properties using Polypropylene 3D Printing different lattice structures, including simple cubic (SC), body-centred cubic (BCC), face-centred cubic (FCC), diamond (DI), fluorite (FL), Kelvin cell (KC), truncated cube (TC), and truncated octahedron (TO). Compression tests were conducted on each lattice structure at relative densities of 20% and 30%, with two experiments performed for each density. The stress-strain curves, strength, and Young's modulus were analysed to evaluate the mechanical performance of the lattice structures. The results demonstrate that increasing the relative density from 20% to 30% leads to significant improvements in both strength and Young's modulus for most lattice structures. The TO lattice exhibits the highest strength and Young's modulus values at both relative densities, followed by the FL, DI, TC, KC, FCC, and BCC lattices. The SC lattice shows the lowest strength values and minimal change in Young's modulus with increasing relative density. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of 3D printed polypropylene polymer in various lattice structures and supports in the selection of appropriate lattice designs and relative densities for specific engineering applications, considering the desired strength, stiffness, and weight requirements.