Comparative analysis of vibration, flexural, and Impact properties of PLA-ABS composites for structural applications

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mangalam college of Engineering, Ettumanoor, Kottayam - 686631, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological university, Trivandrum, India

^* Corresponding author: manuel.george@mangalam.in

Published online: 7 January 2026

Abstract

This work investigates the flexural and vibration characteristics of several PLA-ABS composites. Modal analysis was used to determine the intrinsic frequencies and mode forms of different composite constructions, providing information about their dynamic performance. According to the current vibration research, PLA40/ABS60 displayed the highest mode 1 and mode 2 frequencies, indicating higher resistance to secondary vibrations, while PLA60/ABS40 produced an extraordinarily high mode 3 frequency of 928.75 Hz, showing enhanced rigidity. The results show that the resonance peaks shift to higher frequencies when ABS is added, indicating improved damping and stiffness properties. PLA100 and ABS/PLA/ABS composites had the highest maximum stress, indicating greater strength, according to tests of flexural modulus and impact strength. The greatest deflection was displayed by PLA40/ABS60, indicating increased flexibility but decreased strength. In impact tests, PLA50/ABS50 had the best energy absorption and durability with the maximum impact strength of 9757.47 J/m, closely followed by PLA100. Therefore, sandwich configurations like ABS/PLA/ABS enhance vibrational behavior and dynamic performance, whereas PLA/ABS composites with ideal blending ratios strike a balance between strength and flexibility.