LAUSR

Abstract Fused filament fabrication 3D printing is currently limited for its application in producing space components because of the performance of current polymeric materials. During this research a novel method for 3D printing 5% carbon fibre and different quantities of graphene nanoplatelets of between 0.01% and 5% has been developed. These formulations have been used to reinforce Polyethylene terephthalate thermoplastic that has been subsequently 3D printed to form a microsatellite chassis. This research demonstrates how the novel polymer blend has significantly improved electrically conductive and mechanical properties over that of the parent polymer, which was evaluated after 3D printing. These results confirm that the formulation developed during this research has the performance properties required for 3D printing of space structures. It has been observed that the process through which the nanocomposite masterbatch is manufactured is highly sensitive to the processes used. This is particularly the case when creating multi-material nanocomposite formulations. The research demonstrates how traditional 3D printing technology can be used to fabricate a range of high-performance cube microsatellite structures.