Laser sintering (LS) is an additive manufacturing process which uses laser surface heating to induce consolidation of powdered materials. This work investigates some of the process-structure-property relationships for LS of viscoelastic polymers. A one-dimensional closed-form analytical solution for heating of a semi-infinite body, with a convective boundary condition, by a moving surface heat flux was developed. This solution approximates the shape of the Gaussian energy distribution of the laser beam more accurately than previous solutions in the literature. A sintering model that combines the effects of viscoelastic deformation driven by attractive surface forces and viscous flow driven by curvature-based forces was developed. The powder-bed temperature was approximated using the thermal model developed herein. The effect of the enthalpy of melting for semi-crystalline polymers was accounted for using a temperature recovery approach. Time-temperature superposition was used to account for the temperature dependence of the tensile creep compliance. The results of the combined-mechanism sintering model will be compared to the classic Mackenzie-Shuttleworth sintering model. A lab-scale LS unit was constructed to fabricate test specimens for model validation and to test the applicability of materials to LS. In this work, sintering four materials, polycarbonate (PC) and three molecular weights of polyethylene-oxide (PEO) was predicted using the aforementioned thermal and sintering models. Samples were fabricated using the lab-scale LS unit and the sintered microstructures were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The rheologic, thermal and physical properties of the materials were characterized using standard methods and the relevant properties were used in the models. The choice of an amorphous polymer, PC, and a semi-crystalline polymer, PEO, affords comparison of the effects of the two material forms on contact growth during LS. The three molecular weights of PEO exhibit significantly different tensile creep compliances, however, the thermal and physical properties are essentially the same, and therefore the effect of molecular weight and subsequently the rheologic characteristics on contact growth during LS will be investigated. The effects of particle size, laser power, and bed temperature were also investigated. / Ph. D.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 H347 / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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MSc, School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / A study has been conducted into the synthesis of 10wt% diamond/ mullite composites through two methods: First through the hot press sintering of alumina and silica in stoichiometric composition for 3:2 mullites (mullite formed in situ) at 1400, 1450 and 1500oC. Second through the sol/ gel process. The sol/ gel method only provided the basis for future development with no further discussion of the results while the hot press sintering method yielded composites with residual cristobalite and corundum phases. Achieved densities of the composites were 93.7, 94.6 and 95.8% of the theoretical density with respect to sintering temperatures of 1400, 1450 and 1500oC for compact samples by the first method. Hardness – measured by Vickers indentation – of the composites decreased with increase in temperature with 15.5 ± 0.33GPa achieved at the lowest sintering temperature investigated. The decrease in hardness was attributed to the structural degradation of diamond to non-diamond carbon forms with increase in temperature as observed from Raman spectra of each of the composites. X-ray traces showed an increase in the mullite content with increase in temperature. The fracture toughness of compacts initially hot press sintered from alumina and silica in stoichiometric composition for 3:2 mullite with no diamond added decreased with increase in sintering temperature with 4.75 ± 0.10MPa·m1/2 achieved at the lowest sintering temperature investigated. Further discussion to the structure and physical properties is presented.