3D Printing of Ultrahigh Strength Continuous Carbon Fiber Composites

Abstract

3D printing of continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites is increasingly under development owing to its unparalleled flexibility of manufacturing 3D structures over traditional manufacturing processes. However, key issues, such as weak interlayer bonding, voids between beads and layers, and low volume ratio of carbon fiber, in the mainstream fuse deposition modeling (FDM) and extrusion suppress the applications of these techniques in mission‐critical applications, such as aerospace and defense. This communication reports a novel approach, inspired by laminated object manufacturing (LOM), for 3D printing of continuous CFRTPs using prepreg composite sheets. The prepreg sheets are successively cut based on the sliced CAD geometry, and then bonded layer upon layer using a CO2 laser beam and a consolidation roller system. The void content is low by computed tomography scans and interlaminar bonding strength is as high as conventional autoclave method by lap shear strength tests. The excellent interfacial bonding strength and high volume ratio of continuous carbon fiber contribute to the highest reported tensile strength (668.3 MPa) and flexural strength (591.16 MPa) to date, for all 3D printed CFRTPs. Moreover, the proposed technique also enables controlling the alignment of carbon fiber in printed layers. CFRTPs with unidirectional [0°]s, cross‐ply [0/90°]s, and [0/‐45/0/45°]s fiber reinforcement are produced and evaluated for mechanical properties. The proposed 3D printing method is broadly beneficial for industries requiring high performance and lightweight structural materials with complex geometries.

3D Carbon Materials for Efficient Oxygen and Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

“…The addition of fiber laser to mill the graphene structure to create graphene foams using 3D printing enabled control of thickness, shape, and further refining of the 3D macrostructure . In particular, the use of 3D printing to develop graphene aerogels, neat porous carbon aerogels, MOF‐derived hierarchically porous frameworks, carbon fiber (CF) reinforced thermoplastic composites, and LiFePO 4 /GO‐based interdigitated electrodes with controllable geometries and sizes at micrometer scales has been widely explored. 3D printing can process 3D porous carbon structures of 10 µm thick or thicker with very quick drying time .…”

The effect of UV irradiation on polyamide 6/carbon-fiber composites based on three-dimensional printing

“…Recently, many researchers have focused on manufacturing processes such as three-dimensional (3D) printing for manufacturing complex shapes at a relatively lower cost than conventional processing methods [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. 3D printing systems have grown rapidly in recent years owing to their low cost, accessibility, and open source technology.…”

“…By using these fiber-containing filaments, the mechanical properties are dramatically improved when compared with molded products made only from matrix resins. Recently developed filaments based on continuous carbon fibers, i.e., PLA/CF [15], PA6/CF [9], and prepreg carbon fibers [16], have enabled the printing of molded products with excellent structural properties as well as mechanical and environmental applications.…”

Calculating Printing Speed for Polylactic Acid/Continuous Glass Fiber Composites via Fused Filament Fabrication

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