Wen Shifeng

Polymer based composites for selective laser sintering 3D printing technology

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a powder-based laser fusion 3D printing process. Materials play a decisive role in the dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of SLS parts. Among the applied materials, polymers are the first, and still the most widely and successfully used, SLS materials; however, the limited variety and lower performance of SLS polymeric materials continue to be a challenge. Attempts have been made to enhance certain performance or increase the variety of SLS materials by reinforcing them with micro-sized/nano-sized fillers or with the post-processing method of in ltrating, which is currently a focus of materials research in the SLS field. This article introduces the preparation methods of polymer-based composites for SLS, reviews the current research situation at home and abroad, and discusses future development trends in this field.