Coating of mussel-inspired PDA modified SiC whiskers for enhancing the mechanical properties of SLS-formed TPU parts

In order to enhance the mechanical properties of lattice structure parts made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) prepared by selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, this study employed the oxidative self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) to prepare polydopamine-modified silicon carbide whiskers (PDA-SiC) fillers with a core-shell structure. These fillers were uniformly dispersed in a waterborne polyurethane (WPU) to form a coating solution, which was then used to prepare TPU printed parts with a uniform PDA-SiC/WPU coating structure through post-treatment impregnating-curing processes. The coated TPU parts exhibited tensile strength, elongation at break, and room temperature compressive strength of 8.37 MPa, 610.2%, and 1.062 MPa, respectively, representing improvements of 40.9%, 33.2%, and 353.3% compared to pure TPU parts. This approach effectively enhanced the mechanical performance of SLS-formed TPU parts, strengthening their application in the field of flexible lattice structure parts.