1.

Introduction
Polymers have been widely used in sophisticated applications for many years. They are
adaptable materials that can be easily shaped to fit any application. However, there are a few
factors to consider in the field of polymers, since a single polymer cannot match the needs in
advanced applications. As a result, polymer composites attracted global interest.
Nowadays, the interest in Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS) which is a semi-crystalline
thermoplastic polymer is increasing as it’s being used in various industrial fields including
aerospace, automotive, electronics, sport and energy industries. This is mainly due to its high
performance in terms of good dimensional stability, high-temperature stability, chemical resistance,
flame retardance, aging resistance, radiation resistance, and nontoxicity. These structures are often
made up of two face sheets with good in-plane mechanical properties and a lightweight core,
usually made of polymer foam material that is subjected to shear and compressive loads across the
thickness. However, Due to its unique features of crystallization and thermal crosslinking, PPS
brings several challenges in fused deposition modelling (FDM).
There are various conventional methods for manufacturing polymer composites and structural
components. Though, the majority of them require hand layering of a composite or the use of
expensive curing equipment and tools. These factors make traditional FRC fabrication labour and
resource demanding. Recently, researchers have introduced additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D
printing which presents a straightforward tool-less option for directly fabricating a limited volume
of freshly designed, delicate spare parts that would be expensive and time-consuming to make
using classic manufacturing processes such as moulding. Furthermore, the shape of a part may be
easily adjusted using AM to create an ideal structure with the appropriate mechanical qualities and
the least amount of weight. AM is also an environmentally friendly manufacturing technology,
having the potential to reduce overall CO2 emissions by 525.5 Mt by 2025.
Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a popular additive manufacturing process for creating
functional components out of composite filaments. This technique consists of melting a
thermoplastic material and extruding it via a nozzle to create a component based on an input CAD
model. One of the benefits of fused deposition modelling is the simplicity with which complicated
geometry components may be produced at a low cost and in a short period of time. Regarding its
efficiency, the FDM technique has numerous limitations, such as residual stresses in fused
deposition modelled components, which have a significant impact on their performance. These
residual stresses are created by the repeated heating and cooling cycles of the successive layers
throughout the FDM process, and they remain in the simulated component after reaching
equilibrium with the environment. These stresses are typically increased by the incorrect
configuration in the user-specified parameters during the FDM process. Different printing
parameters, including nozzle temperature, component orientation on the build plate, layer height,
printing speed, and infill density, must be changed to minimize residual stresses and increase
product quality and mechanical performance.
In recent studies, several review papers were published on the FDM techniques to fabricate
polymer composites. Shanmugam et al investigated the fatigue behaviour of FDM-3D printed
polymers, they have concluded that the fibre characteristics of FDM printed composites are
predicted to contribute significantly to an increase fatigue life. Additionally, FDM employs a
diversity of thermoplastic materials because of the large variance in their physical qualities
modifies the fatigue nature. As a result, it is proposed that FDM factors should be optimized in
respect to material properties. Meanwhile, printing parameters have a substantial influence on
fatigue behaviour and should be improved, although research on printing parameter optimization is
limited.
El Magri et Al have conducted an experimental investigation of printing parameters of 3D
printed polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), using Surface Response method in order to examine the
effects of three critical fused filament fabrication (FFF) parameters on the mechanical properties of
PPS components. The study included essentially the nozzle temperature, printing speed, and layer
thickness, among these printing parameters, the results showed that the layer thickness has a drastic
influence on Young's modulus and degree of crystallinity.
Tao et Al have reviewed voids of 3D printed parts by fused filament fabrication, they have
discussed the relationship between voids and the mechanical performance of FFF parts. They have
concluded that the presence of voids may affect interlayer heat transfer, weakening interlayer
bonding and perhaps causing further voids. Also, the properties of void structures may reveal
important information for implementing and/or enhancing treatments aimed to increase component
strength, such as post-annealing or impregnation with other phases. Voids in printed components
generate heat and mass transmission channels. Though, authors have suggested that the use of
voids as heat and mass transport channels should be researched more in the future.
Geng et Al have studied the effect of Thermal Processing and Heat Treatment condition, on 3D
Printing PPS accuracy and mechanical properties through fused deposition modelling. The results
demonstrate that the tensile and impact strength of 3D printed samples depend highly on the degree
of crystallinity and crosslinking properties of the material, as well as the printing parameters such
as the infill and thermal processing conditions. Meanwhile, the heat conditions during printing
affect interlayer diffusion, warpage, and delamination. The processing of high-performance 3D-
printed PPS samples will be possible with the proper choices of thermal processing and heat
treatment parameters. Hence, authors proposed the heat treatment method, which is a good
approach for increasing interlayer strength. 7