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Journals / Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 17 Sayı: 3

Investigation of Mechanical and Electrical Properties of TPMS Lattice Structures Produced from MWCNT Reinforced PLA Composites

MWCNT Takviyeli PLA Kompozitlerden Üretilen Üçlü Periyodik Minimal Yüzey Kafes Yapıların Mekanik ve Elektriksel Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

Mustafa Ercan Gündüz(INONU UNIVERSITY, VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY)0000-0002-8443-6340
Özgün Ceren Akbay(İNÖNÜ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, MÜHENDİSLİK FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-7839-2484
Erkan Bahçe(İNÖNÜ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, MÜHENDİSLİK FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-5389-5571
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-10-17
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This study investigates the mechanical and electrical performance of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures fabricated from a polylactic acid (PLA) composite reinforced with 2 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using fused deposition modeling.Diamond, Gyroid, and Schwarz lattice structures were designed with a unit cell size of 4 mm and overall dimensions of 16 × 16 × 16 mm, while the composite filament was produced via a twin-screw extrusion process.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study investigates the mechanical and electrical performance of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures fabricated from a polylactic acid (PLA) composite reinforced with 2 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using fused deposition modeling.Diamond, Gyroid, and Schwarz lattice structures were designed with a unit cell size of 4 mm and overall dimensions of 16 × 16 × 16 mm, while the composite filament was produced via a twin-screw extrusion process.
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Key Findings & Data:Mechanical properties were evaluated through quasi-static compression tests conducted in accordance with ASTM D695, and force–displacement curves were obtained.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings reveal that TPMS topology directly governs load transfer mechanisms and the continuity of conductive networks, indicating that the Diamond lattice structure is a promising candidate for multifunctional lightweight structures, whereas the Gyroid lattice structure is more suitable for engineering applications requiring a balanced combination of properties.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:TPMS · Elektriksel İletkenlik · Eklemeli İmalat

Abstract

This study investigates the mechanical and electrical performance of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures fabricated from a polylactic acid (PLA) composite reinforced with 2 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using fused deposition modeling.Diamond, Gyroid, and Schwarz lattice structures were designed with a unit cell size of 4 mm and overall dimensions of 16 × 16 × 16 mm, while the composite filament was produced via a twin-screw extrusion process. Mechanical properties were evaluated through quasi-static compression tests conducted in accordance with ASTM D695, and force–displacement curves were obtained. Electrical performance was determined by calculating conductivity from resistance values measured using a four-point probe method.The results demonstrated that TPMS geometry is a critical factor influencing both mechanical and electrical behavior under identical material composition and manufacturing conditions. The Diamond lattice structure exhibited the highest compressive strength, reaching approximately 13.3 kN, and the highest electrical conductivity, measured at 6.65 S/m. While the Gyroid lattice structure provided stable deformation behavior and a balanced mechanical–electrical performance, the Schwarz lattice structure showed the lowest load-carrying capacity and the highest resistance among the tested geometries. The findings reveal that TPMS topology directly governs load transfer mechanisms and the continuity of conductive networks, indicating that the Diamond lattice structure is a promising candidate for multifunctional lightweight structures, whereas the Gyroid lattice structure is more suitable for engineering applications requiring a balanced combination of properties.

Özet

Bu çalışma, eriyik biriktirmeli modelleme (EYM) kullanılarak üretilen, %2 ağırlık oranında çok duvarlı karbon nanotüp (MWCNT) ile takviye edilmiş polilaktik asit (PLA) kompozitinden imal edilen üçlü periyodik minimal yüzey (TPMS) kafes yapıların mekanik ve elektriksel performansını incelemektedir. Diamond, Gyroid ve Schwarz kafes yapıları; 4 mm birim hücre boyutu ve 16 × 16 × 16 mm genel boyutlarda tasarlanmış, kompozit filament ise çift vidalı ekstrüzyon yöntemiyle üretilmiştir. Mekanik özellikler, ASTM D695 standardına uygun olarak gerçekleştirilen yarı statik basma testleri ile değerlendirilmiş ve kuvvet–yer değiştirme eğrileri elde edilmiştir. Elektriksel performans ise dört nokta prob yöntemiyle ölçülen direnç değerlerinden iletkenliğin hesaplanmasıyla belirlenmiştir. Sonuçlar, aynı malzeme bileşimi ve üretim koşulları altında TPMS geometrisinin hem mekanik hem de elektriksel davranışı etkileyen kritik bir faktör olduğunu göstermiştir. Diamond kafes yapısı, yaklaşık 13.3 kN değerine ulaşarak en yüksek basma dayanımını ve 6.65 S/m olarak ölçülen en yüksek elektriksel iletkenliği sergilemiştir. Gyroid kafes yapısı kararlı deformasyon davranışı ile dengeli bir mekanik-elektriksel performans sağlarken, Schwarz kafes yapısı test edilen geometriler arasında en düşük yük taşıma kapasitesini ve en yüksek direnci göstermiştir. Bulgular, TPMS topolojisinin yük aktarım mekanizmalarını ve iletken ağların sürekliliğini doğrudan belirlediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu durum, Diamond kafes yapısının çok işlevli hafif yapılar için umut verici bir aday olduğunu; Gyroid kafes yapısının ise dengeli bir özellik kombinasyonu gerektiren mühendislik uygulamaları için daha uygun olduğunu göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Gündüz, M. E., Akbay, Ö. C., Bahçe, E. (2026). Investigation of Mechanical and Electrical Properties of TPMS Lattice Structures Produced from MWCNT Reinforced PLA Composites. Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi, Cilt: 17 Sayı: 3. https://doi.org/10.24012/dumf.1978851

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