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Journals / Firat University Journal of Experimental and Computational Engineering / 2026 / Cilt: 5 Sayı: 3

Mechanical Performance of Functionally Graded Carbon Fiber-Reinforced PLA Composites Fabricated via Multi-Material FDM

Çok Malzemeli FDM ile Üretilen Fonksiyonel Derecelendirilmiş Karbon Fiber Takviyeli PLA Kompozitlerinin Mekanik Performansı

Muhammet Mevlüt Karaca(KARABÜK ÜNİVERSİTESİ, MÜHENDİSLİK FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-9644-3663
Tuğçe Yildiz(KARABÜK ÜNİVERSİTESİ, MÜHENDİSLİK FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-5361-7923
Pages
671–685
Publication Date
2026-10-25
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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

The results reveal that the interaction of layer alignment and fiber ratio plays a decisive role in shaping the mechanical performance in functionally graded (FGM) carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites produced by the multi-material FDM method.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:In this study, the mechanical performances of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites produced using the multi-material FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) method were investigated.
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Key Findings & Data:Single-, two-, and three-layer configurations were fabricated using pure PLA, 5% carbon fiber-reinforced PLA (5CF), and 10% carbon fiber-reinforced PLA (10CF) filaments.
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Conclusion & Impact:The results reveal that the interaction of layer alignment and fiber ratio plays a decisive role in shaping the mechanical performance in functionally graded (FGM) carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites produced by the multi-material FDM method.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Çok malzemeli FDM · Karbon fiber takviyeli PLA · Katmanlı yapı

Abstract

In this study, the mechanical performances of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites produced using the multi-material FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) method were investigated. Single-, two-, and three-layer configurations were fabricated using pure PLA, 5% carbon fiber-reinforced PLA (5CF), and 10% carbon fiber-reinforced PLA (10CF) filaments. Dimensional accuracy analyses showed that high geometric precision within ±0.1 mm was achieved for all specimens. The mechanical performance of the two-layer structures was higher compared to single-layer structures. The two-layer structure with a bottom layer of pure PLA and a top layer of 5% CF-PLA showed a 19% improvement in tensile strength, a 74% improvement in elastic modulus, and a 24% improvement in flexural strength (2T-5CF). The three-layer (PLA/5% CF/10% CF) hybrid structure provided a 65% increase in elastic modulus and a 4.2% increase in flexural strength compared to pure PLA (3T). However, the flexural strength of the 3T configuration (69.17 MPa) remained below that of the single-layer 5CF (78.08 MPa) and 10CF (70.71 MPa) specimens, indicating that the three-layer arrangement offers no flexural strength advantage over single-layer CF-reinforced structures despite its gradient character. The fracture surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate interlayer transition regions and possible separations. The results reveal that the interaction of layer alignment and fiber ratio plays a decisive role in shaping the mechanical performance in functionally graded (FGM) carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites produced by the multi-material FDM method.

Özet

Bu çalışmada, çok malzemeli FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) yöntemi kullanılarak üretilen karbon fiber (CF) takviyeli polylactic acid (PLA) kompozitlerinin mekanik performansları incelenmiştir. Üretim sürecinde saf PLA, %5 karbon fiber takviyeli PLA (5CF) ve %10 karbon fiber takviyeli PLA (10CF) filamentleri kullanılarak tek katmanlı, iki katmanlı ve üç katmanlı yapı konfigürasyonları oluşturulmuştur. Boyutsal doğruluk analizleri, tüm numunelerde ±0.1 mm tolerans aralığında yüksek geometrik hassasiyet elde edildiğini göstermiştir. İki katmanlı yapıların mekanik performansı, tek katmanlı yapılara kıyasla daha yüksek bulunmuştur; alt katmanı saf PLA ve üst katmanı %5 CF-PLA olan iki katmanlı yapı, çekme dayanımında %19, elastik modülde %74 ve eğilme dayanımında %24 oranında iyileşme sağlamıştır (2T-5CF). Üç katmanlı (PLA/%5 CF/%10 CF) hibrit yapı, saf PLA'ya kıyasla elastik modülde %65 ve eğilme dayanımında %4,2 oranında artış sunmuştur (3T). Bununla birlikte, 3T konfigürasyonunun eğilme dayanımı (69,17 MPa), tek katmanlı 5CF (78,08 MPa) ve 10CF (70,71 MPa) numunelerinin altında kalmış; bu durum, gradyan karakterine karşın üç katmanlı yapının tek katmanlı CF takviyeli yapılara kıyasla eğilme dayanımı açısından herhangi bir avantaj sunmadığına işaret etmektedir. Katmanlar arası geçiş bölgeleri ve olası ayrılmaların değerlendirilmesi amacıyla kırılma yüzeyleri taramalı elektron mikroskobu (SEM) kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, çok malzemeli FDM yöntemi ile üretilen fonksiyonel derecelendirilmiş (FGM) karbon fiber takviyeli PLA kompozitlerinde katman dizilimi ile fiber oranı etkileşiminin mekanik performansın belirlenmesinde kritik bir rol oynadığını ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Karaca, M. M., Yildiz, T. (2026). Mechanical Performance of Functionally Graded Carbon Fiber-Reinforced PLA Composites Fabricated via Multi-Material FDM. Firat University Journal of Experimental and Computational Engineering, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 3, 671–685. https://doi.org/10.62520/fujece.1924232

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