Determining the Thermal Conductivity of Additively Manufactured Materials Constructed Using Stereolithography
Open Access
Author:
Trautman, Jacqueline Lee
Area of Honors:
Mechanical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Karen Ann Thole, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Jacqueline Antonia O'Connor, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Additive Manufacturing Thermal Conductivity SLA
Abstract:
Additive manufacturing is the relatively new process of layering material to build objects. As it is still a relatively new technology, there is still a lot of research to be done to fully understand its properties and potential applications. Past research has shown that the material properties of additively printed parts, including plastics produced by using stereolithography (SLA), are affected by the method of manufacture and this thesis will examine whether that is also true for the parts’ thermal properties. By modifying the variables inherent in additive manufacturing including layer size, print orientation, and cure time, this research will examine the effects on the thermal conductivity of the parts. The thermal conductivity of several additive samples with various combinations of independent variables was measured and shown to have significant differences. Evaluation determined that the most significant influence impacting the thermal conductivity is the cure time. A part that is not completely cured will have a lower conductivity than a part that has been fully cured. Due to the effects of this independent variable on the results, further studies will be needed to understand the full trends and effects of the other variables although postulates were developed. This research could be expanded by examining different additive manufacturing techniques and materials to determine if the trends discovered are universal or not.
