scholarly journals Experimental studies for the additive manufacturing of continuous fiber reinforced composites using UV-curing thermosets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eckart Kunze ◽  
Michael Müller-Pabel ◽  
Oliver Weißenborn ◽  
Ron Luft ◽  
Johann Faust ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Uv Curing ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Continuous Fiber ◽  
Print Head ◽  
Lightweight Structures ◽  
Thermoset Resin

The economical production of lightweight structures with tailor-made properties and load-adapted geometry is limited using conventional technologies. Additive manufacturing processes offer a high potential to meet these requirements, where the established solutions are based primarily on thermoplastics matrix systems. From a process-technological point of view, thermoplastics enable simplified processing, but only a limited range of applications for high-performance components. These limitations are due to their comparatively low heat resistance, low melting temperatures and limited adhesion to embedded reinforcing fibers. In contrast, thermosets show high potential for realization of high- performance lightweight structures with adaptable properties. The present work employs a UV-curing thermoset resin for the impregnation of a continuous filament strand for 3D printing. The main challenge is to reconcile the crosslinking reaction of the thermoset and the process velocity during impregnation and cure. The liquid polymer must provide low initial viscosity to impregnate the filaments and a sufficiently high cure rate and dimensional stability after discharge from the print head to ensure sufficient bonding strength to the substrate. To demonstrate feasibility, a prototypic print head with UV-LED activation was designed and implemented. With a robot-guided printing platform, the 3D-deposition of continuous fiber-reinforcements without additional supporting structures can be realized. To derive initial process parameters, reaction and thermos-mechanical properties are determined by rheometer measurements. Impregnation and cure behavior of the glass fiber reinforced resin is investigated. The presented results provide a reliable process window and a straightforward process monitoring method for further enhancement of the conceived 3D printing process.

scholarly journals A Novel Route to Fabricate High-Performance 3D Printed Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermosetting Polymer Composites

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueke Ming ◽  
Yugang Duan ◽  
Ben Wang ◽  
Hong Xiao ◽  
Xiaohui Zhang
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Polymer Composites ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Flexural Modulus ◽  
Shape Preservation ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Continuous Fiber ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Thermosetting Polymer

Recently, 3D printing of fiber-reinforced composites has gained significant research attention. However, commercial utilization is limited by the low fiber content and poor fiber–resin interface. Herein, a novel 3D printing process to fabricate continuous fiber-reinforced thermosetting polymer composites (CFRTPCs) is proposed. In brief, the proposed process is based on the viscosity–temperature characteristics of the thermosetting epoxy resin (E-20). First, the desired 3D printing filament was prepared by impregnating a 3K carbon fiber with a thermosetting matrix at 130 °C. The adhesion and support required during printing were then provided by melting the resin into a viscous state in the heating head and rapidly cooling after pulling out from the printing nozzle. Finally, a powder compression post-curing method was used to accomplish the cross-linking reaction and shape preservation. Furthermore, the 3D-printed CFRTPCs exhibited a tensile strength and tensile modulus of 1476.11 MPa and 100.28 GPa, respectively, a flexural strength and flexural modulus of 858.05 MPa and 71.95 GPa, respectively, and an interlaminar shear strength of 48.75 MPa. Owing to its high performance and low concentration of defects, the proposed printing technique shows promise in further utilization and industrialization of 3D printing for different applications.

scholarly journals The Micro–Macro Interlaminar Properties of Continuous Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polyphenylene Sulfide Laminates Made by Thermocompression to Simulate the Consolidation Process in FDM

Polymers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 301
Author(s):  
Jiale Hu ◽  
Suhail Mubarak ◽  
Kunrong Li ◽  
Xu Huang ◽  
Weidong Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Fiber ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Fused Deposition Modeling ◽  
Polyphenylene Sulfide ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Continuous Fiber ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
Continuous Carbon Fiber ◽  
Carbon Fiber Reinforced

Three-dimensional (3D) printing of continuous fiber-reinforced composites has been developed in recent decades as an alternative means to handle complex structures with excellent design flexibility and without mold forming. Although 3D printing has been increasingly used in the manufacturing industry, there is still room for the development of theories about how the process parameters affect microstructural properties to meet the mechanical requirements of the printed parts. In this paper, we investigated continuous carbon fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (CCF/PPS) as feedstock for fused deposition modeling (FDM) simulated by thermocompression. This study revealed that the samples manufactured using a layer-by-layer process have a high tensile strength up to 2041.29 MPa, which is improved by 68.8% compared with those prepared by the once-stacked method. Moreover, the mechanical–microstructure characterization relationships indicated that the compactness of the laminates is higher when the stacked CCF/PPS are separated, which can be explained based on both the void formation and the nanoindentation results. These reinforcements confirm the potential of remodeling the layer-up methods for the development of high-performance carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. This study is of great significance to the improvement of the FDM process and opens broad prospects for the aerospace industry and continuous fiber-reinforced polymer matrix materials.

Feasibility and Characterization of Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing With Long Fiber Reinforced Composites

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya R. Thakur ◽  
Ming C. Leu ◽  
Xiangyang Dong
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Carbon Fiber ◽  
Carbon Fibers ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Flexural Modulus ◽  
High Deposition Rate ◽  
Reinforced Composites ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Continuous Fiber ◽  
Long Carbon Fibers

Abstract A new additive manufacturing (AM) approach to fabricate long fiber reinforced composites (LFRC) was proposed in this study. A high deposition rate was achieved by the implementation of a single-screw extruder, which directly used thermoplastic pellets and continuous fiber tows as feedstock materials. Thus, the proposed method was also used as a large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) method for printing large-volume components. Using polylactic acid (PLA) pellets and continuous carbon fiber tows, the feasibility of the proposed AM method was investigated through printing LFRC samples and further demonstrated by fabricating large-volume components with complex geometries. The printed LFRC samples were compared with pure thermoplastic and continuous fiber reinforced composite (CFRC) counterparts via mechanical tests and microstructural analyses. With comparable flexural modulus, the flexural strength of the LFRC samples was slightly lower than that of the CFRC samples. An average improvement of 28% in flexural strength and 50% in flexural modulus were achieved compared to those of pure PLA parts, respectively. Discontinuous long carbon fibers, with an average fiber length of 20.1 mm, were successfully incorporated into the printed LFRC samples. The carbon fiber orientation, distribution of carbon fiber length, and dispersion of carbon fiber as well as porosity were further studied. The carbon fibers were highly oriented along the printing direction with a relatively uniformly distributed fiber reinforcement across the LFRC cross section. With high deposition rate (up to 0.8 kg/hr) and low material costs (< $10/kg), this study demonstrated the potentials of the proposed printing method in LSAM of high strength polymer composites reinforced with long carbon fibers.

Recent Patents in Additive Manufacturing of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Composites

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Hu ◽  
Zeyu Sun ◽  
Yi Xiao ◽  
Qinghua Qin
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Fiber Reinforced Composites ◽  
Reinforced Composites ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Continuous Fiber ◽  
Manufacturing Method ◽  
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites ◽  
Bending Stresses ◽  
Continuous Carbon Fiber

Background: Additive Manufacturing (AM) enables the accurate fabrication of designed parts in a short time without the need for specific molds and tools. Although polymers are the most widely used raw materials for AM, the products printed by them are inherently weak, unable to sustain large tension or bending stresses. A need for the manufacturing of fiber reinforced composites, especially continuous fiber as reinforcement, has attracted great attention in recent years. Objective: Identifying the progress of the AM of continuous carbon fiber reinforced composites over time and therefore establishing a foundation on which current research can be based. Methods: Elaborating the most related patents regarding the AM techniques for fabricating continuous fiber reinforced composites in the top three institutions, including Markforged company, Xi’an Jiaotong University and President and Fellows of Harvard College. Results: The recent patents in AM of continuous fiber reinforced composites are classified into two aspects: patents related to novel technique methods and patents related to novel structures. The current issues and future development of AM-based composites are given. Conclusion: New structures and techniques have been introduced into conventional 3D printers to enable the printing of continuous fiber reinforced composites. However, until now, Markforged is the only company commercializing the fabrication of this kind of composites based on AM technique. Numerous challenges and issues need to be solved so that AM of continuous fiber reinforced composites can be a new manufacturing method.

scholarly journals 3D Printing of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Low Melting Point Alloy Matrix Composites: Mechanical Properties and Microstructures

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3463
Author(s):  
Xin Wang ◽  
Xiaoyong Tian ◽  
Lixian Yin ◽  
Dichen Li
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Matrix Composite ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Metallic Matrix ◽  
Interfacial Microstructure ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Continuous Fiber ◽  
Alloy Matrix

A novel 3D printing route to fabricate continuous fiber reinforced metal matrix composite (CFRMMC) is proposed in this paper. It is distinguished from the 3D printing process of polymer matrix composite that utilizes the pressure inside the nozzle to combine the matrix with the fiber. This process combines the metallic matrix with the continuous fiber by utilizing the wetting and wicking performances of raw materials to form the compact internal structures and proper fiber-matrix interfaces. CF/Pb50Sn50 composites were printed with the Pb50Sn50 alloy wire and modified continuous carbon fiber. The mechanical properties of the composite specimens were studied, and the ultimate tensile strength reached 236.7 MPa, which was 7.1 times that of Pb50Sn50 alloy. The fracture and interfacial microstructure were investigated and analyzed. The relationships between mechanical properties and interfacial reactions were discussed. With the optimized process parameters, several composites parts were printed to demonstrate the advantages of low cost, short fabrication period and flexibility in fabrication of complex structures.

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