Effects of Reinforcements on the Viscoelastic Behavior of PETG Composites for Marine Structure

Abstract

This research examines viscoelastic, mechanical and environmental performance of additively manufactured PETG-based composites as possible marine engineering products. PETG was strengthened with short carbon fibre (SCF), glass fibre (GF), graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), carbon nanotubes (CNT), CaCO3, wood flour, and hybrid fillers. Fused deposition modelling (FDM) was used to make specimens and was assessed by tensile, flexural, impact, hardness and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and water absorption and seawater aging tests. The findings have shown that reinforcement plays an important role in determining performance, and carbon-based and hybrid composites (SCF + CNT) have shown a higher stiffness, damping stability, and moisture ingress resistance. Consequently, natural and mineral fillers were more prone to water absorption and less durable. Improved interfacial bonding was proved in nano- and hybrid-reinforced systems and shown by SEM analysis. The results prove that hybrid PETG composites have a high structural stability and environmental resistance, and therefore, are good candidates to lightweight marine parts subjected to saline environments.