title: 3D-Printing of Meso-structurally Ordered Carbon Fiber/Polymer Composites with Unprecedented Orthotropic Physical Properties.
abstract: Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which allow the fiber component of a resin and carbon fiber fluid to be aligned in three dimensions via controlled micro-extrusion and subsequently cured into complex geometries. Characterization of our composite systems clearly show that we achieved a high order of fiber alignment within the composite microstructure, which in turn allows these materials to outperform equivalently filled randomly oriented carbon fiber and polymer composites. Furthermore, our AM carbon fiber composite systems exhibit highly orthotropic mechanical and electrical responses as a direct result of the alignment of carbon fiber bundles in the microscale which we predict will ultimately lead to the design of truly tailorable carbon fiber/polymer hybrid materials having locally programmable complex electrical, thermal and mechanical response.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lewicki
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Marcus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Worsley
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Yuliya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanarska
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Duoss
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elmer
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hensleigh
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fellini
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA94550, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: King