Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5439519 | Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing | 2017 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
A promising pathway for multifunctionality in fiber-composites is to mimic biological vasculature that enables living organisms with concerted homeostatic functions. In this paper, newfound material and processing advancements in vaporization of sacrificial components (VaSC), a technique for creating inverse replica architectures via thermal depolymerization of a sacrificial template, are established for enhanced vascular composites manufacturing. Sacrificial poly(lactic acid) with improved distribution of catalytic micro-particles is extruded into fibers for automated weaving and filament feedstock for 3-D printing. Fiber drawing after extrusion improves mechanical robustness for high-fidelity, composite preform weaving. Joining one-dimensional (1D) interwoven fibers with printed sacrificial (2D) templates affords three-dimensional (3D) interconnected networks in a fiber-composite laminate that inherits damage-tolerant features found in natural vasculatures. In addition to providing a conduit for enhanced functionality, the sacrificial templating techniques are compatible with current composites manufacturing processes, materials, and equipment.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Ceramics and Composites
Authors
J.F. Patrick, B.P. Krull, M. Garg, C.L. Mangun, J.S. Moore, N.R. Sottos, S.R. White,