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Material Compatibility of 3D Printed Polymer Composites with Low GWP Refrigerants...

Publication Type
Conference Paper
Book Title
Proceedings of the 19th International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference at Purdue
Publication Date
Publisher Location
Indiana, United States of America
Conference Name
19th International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference at Purdue
Conference Location
West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
Conference Sponsor
International Institute of Refrigeration
Conference Date
-

The recent development of 3D printing brings numerous opportunities to develop polymer heat exchangers with desired configurations and allows access to the new complex engineering design for better performance. To be used in the HVAC&R system, the compatibility of these materials to refrigerants needs to be thoroughly investigated and understood. This study tested the material compatibility of the printed polymer composites according to the ASHRAE Guideline 38 using metal pressure vessels. These printed parts were tested with R-134A, R-1234YF, R-1234ZE, R-1233ZD(E), and 32-3 MAF POE (10 wt.%) was used as the lubricants. The change in volume, mass, hardness, and mechanical properties was studied in detail. Different compatibility of the composites with refrigerants was observed when the composition of the composite changed. After exposure to refrigerants, the morphological and thermal properties were studied with the scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry to further reveal the influence of these refrigerants.