Performance regulation of 3D-printed PA12 based on deep space extreme environment

PA12 material has good thermal stability and radiation resistance， and has broad application prospects in deep space manufacturing. However， PA12 materials prepared by fused deposition modeling （FDM） on the ground generally have structural defects such as high porosity and poor interlayer bonding， which limit their mechanical properties and make it difficult to directly use them in deep space environments. To address this issue， this study proposes the modification of printing materials using extreme environmental conditions in deep space to improve their mechanical properties and meet the high requirements for structural integrity and mechanical performance in deep space manufacturing. By simulating typical variables in deep space environments， including high-temperature heat treatment， ultraviolet irradiation， and anaerobic solidification， the effects of different processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of PA12 materials are systematically evaluated. The results show that after 10 min of heat treatment at 200 ℃， the bending strength of the sample increases by 66.2%； after introducing 3% （mass fraction， the same below） photoinitiator and 4% photocrosslinking agent and irradiating with UV for 2 min， the tensile strength of the sample increases by 17.5%； after doping with 3% anaerobic adhesive and irradiating for 2 min， the compressive strength of the sample increases by 34.4%. Finally， multiple processing techniques are combined to synergistically regulate the sample， resulting in a 75%，94.2%， and 62.2% increase in tensile， bending， and compressive strength， respectively. This study explores the impact of simulating extreme deep space environments on the properties of PA12 materials， verifying the feasibility of in-situ modification of PA12 materials using deep space environmental variables. This provides an effective technical path and theoretical support for the in-orbit manufacturing of high-performance elastic components in deep space environments.