Metallic Plastics: The Effect of Electroplating on ABS Plastic
Author:
Caroline Ionata ’24Co-Authors:
Faculty Mentor(s):
Jonathan Torres, Mechanical EngineeringFunding Source:
Kalman Fund for Undergraduate Research in the SciencesAbstract
Experiments with post-processes and fabrication methods of 3D printed parts were explored, focusing on how to strengthen and aesthetically enhance acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. The main limitations of 3D printed parts being used for end products is the quality of their finish. A variety of post processing and finishing methods can be used on plastic parts in order to increase their material properties and aesthetics that would make them more appealing in the consumer world. However, some of these methods are time consuming and costly. In order to bypass these concerns, electroplating and electroless plating were tested. These are the process of coating one object with metal ions onto metallic paints and mixtures such as graphite, silver, nickel and copper, through chemical reactions to strengthen the base material. Comparisons between which metallic mixtures were best suited for each process, the highest yield strength, and the different processes themselves were explored. The experiment was conducted with ABS plastic dog bones as the base for the mixtures and coatings. Tensile testing on the finished, fully coated, specimens showed only slight differences in yield strength, about 0.5 – 0.7 MPa from the original, depending on the metallic base mixture and the plating process used, with the highest being the copper paint base, copper electroplated specimens. Despite the small changes in yield strengths, the specimens that were treated beforehand with prepping techniques such as degreasing and proper paint setting intervals, generated the best results in all mixtures and platings.