# Combined Use of Vibrational Spectroscopy, Ultrasonic Echography, and Numerical Simulations for the Non-Destructive Evaluation of 3D-Printed Materials for Defense Applications

## TL;DR

This study combines experimental and simulation methods to evaluate how heat affects the mechanical and molecular properties of 3D-printed PLA used in defense applications.

## Contribution

The novel integration of vibrational spectroscopy, ultrasonic echography, and simulation techniques reveals thermal effects on 3D-printed PLA.

## Key findings

- PLA samples show structural strengthening up to 2 hours of heating, followed by degradation with further heating.
- Circuit-based simulations outperformed EFIT in predicting experimental results.
- Vibrational spectroscopy confirmed structural changes through shifts in specific chemical bond modes.

## Abstract

This paper describes how the thermal treatment of 3D-printed PLA samples, fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), affects elastic properties by means of vibrational spectroscopy and ultrasonic echography. Longitudinal and shear sound velocities were measured experimentally to determine Young’s, bulk, shear, and longitudinal moduli, as well as Poisson’s ratio. The results were complemented with two different simulation approaches—the elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT) and the equivalent electric analog technique implemented with LPSpice—whose predictive performance was assessed using statistical performance metrics. The circuit-based simulation method demonstrated superior agreement with experimental behavior compared to EFIT. Both measured and simulated data reveal that PLA chains undergo overall structural strengthening and enhanced packing up to 2 h of heating, followed by a clear reduction in these enhancements as thermal degradation emerges with further heating. Poisson’s ratio remained relatively stable throughout, indicating minimal impact on strain distribution characteristics despite observable stiffening and subsequent softening. Vibrational ATR (Attenuated Total Reflection) spectra corroborated these findings through systemic shifts in C-COO, C-O-C, and C-O stretching modes associated with the same structural modifications. Overall, this combined experimental–simulation framework provides an integrated understanding of thermally induced mechanical and molecular evolution in 3D-printed PLA relevant to defense applications.