# Graphene Oxide (GO) Impregnation of Polyamide-Based Composites Enhances Thermal Conductivity After Selective Laser Sintering

## TL;DR

Adding graphene oxide to polyamide composites during laser sintering improves thermal conductivity without sacrificing mechanical strength.

## Contribution

A double laser scanning strategy is introduced to enhance thermal conductivity in low-filler polymer composites.

## Key findings

- GO impregnation increased tensile strength by 2.5% compared to pure PA12.
- Thermal conductivity reached 0.74 W·m−1·K−1 in the composites.
- Mechanical integrity and electrical insulation were preserved.

## Abstract

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing method that enables the creation of complex-shaped polymer-based structures with great control over the desired properties. In this study, polyamide 12 (PA12)–based powders containing 0.8 wt.% graphene oxide (GO), introduced via a wet-mixing impregnation method, were processed by selective laser sintering (SLS). Implementation of a double laser scanning strategy increased the tensile strength of the composites by 2.5% relative to pristine SLS-processed PA12 and enhanced the thermal conductivity to 0.74 W·m−1·K−1. The results indicate that the laser sintering process is an effective approach to produce low filler content polymer-matrix composites with enhanced thermal properties while preserving mechanical integrity and maintaining electrical insulation behavior.