'The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology'
Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM) has the unique ability to build multifunctional parts with
embedded electronics without the need for post-print assembly. However, many existing forms of
multifunctional AM are not easily accessible to hobby-level users. Most hobby-level desktop 3D
printers are only used with non-conductive filaments. Recently however, conductive filaments
have become increasingly available for material extrusion desktop printers. Ideally, the use of these
filaments would allow circuitry to be printed simultaneously with the rest of the structure, enabling
complex, inexpensive, multifunctional structures. However, the resistivity of conductive filament
is significantly impacted by the geometry of the print and the printing parameters used in the build
process. In this study, two types of commercially-available conductive filament were tested under
a variety of parameters. It was found that print temperature, layer height, and orientation all
significantly affect the resistivity in various ways. The knowledge from this research will allow
users to design better multifunctional parts that have reduced resistivity.Mechanical Engineerin