Sandwich structured composites (SSC) are lightweight sandwiched panel materials that demonstrate considerable stiffness and high strength-to-weight ratios. Typical SSCs are constrained to specific materials and geometry due to limitations in manufacturing methods. However, employing additive manufacturing (AM), specifically direct ink writing (DIW), can provide an alternative method for making SSCs composed of more controllable and stronger component materials. DIW, an extrusion-based AM technique, uses a viscous and thixotropic ink that, once printed, is cured to obtain the final printed part. In this work, a hybrid SSC material containing bisphenol A-based epoxy core and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets are fabricated via DIW and vacuum infusion process (VIP). Using the DIW approach, we demonstrate that the fabrication of these SSCs can be tailored from a thermosetting material, from which additives and/or various lattice structures can be implemented to achieve enhanced and desirable mechanical integrity. Surface topology and mechanical testing techniques are used to characterize the fabricated hybrid SSCs to study and assess the mechanical stability.

Fabrication of carbon fiber sandwiched epoxy composites via direct ink writing

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.