Enhancement of Mechanical and Wear Properties in 3D-printed PEEK Specimens using Eco-friendly Infill Patterns via Fused Filament Fabrication

The increasing use of 3D-printed PEEK materials in load-bearing applications necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of their wear characteristics and hardness under dynamic loading conditions. This study investigates the wear loss, coefficient of friction, and hardness values of PEEK materials with four distinct surface patterns: Line, Grid, Cubic, and Hexagon. Controlled experiments revealed that the Line and Hexagon patterns exhibited the lowest wear loss (0.004 grams), indicating superior wear resistance, while the Cubic pattern showed the highest wear loss (0.009 grams). In terms of friction, the Grid pattern demonstrated the lowest coefficient of friction (0.21), suggesting it offers the least resistance to movement, while the Line and Hexagon patterns had moderate coefficients of friction (0.40 and 0.35, respectively). The Cubic pattern displayed the highest coefficient of friction (0.45). Hardness testing revealed that the Hexagon pattern had the highest hardness value (30), followed by the Line pattern (28), the Grid pattern (25), and the Cubic pattern (20). These findings highlight the trade-offs between wear resistance, friction, and hardness among the different surface patterns, providing valuable insights for applications where these properties are crucial. SEM images were analyzed to investigate the wear characteristics of FFF-printed PEEK samples with varying infill patterns. The results showed that the Hexagon pattern exhibited the least surface degradation, demonstrating superior wear resistance compared to the Line, Cubic, and Grid patterns. This study offers valuable guidance for selecting optimal surface patterns in engineering and industrial applications to enhance performance and durability.