Engineered Interleaved Random Glass Fiber Composites Using Additive Manufacturing: Effect of Mat Properties, Resin...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Standard fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) fabrication methods exhibit limitations in out-of-plane properties and delamination resistance.
• Advanced techniques like braiding and z-pinning improve delamination resistance but increase complexity and cost.
• Existing methods lack precise control over interleaf integration within FRCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the additive manufacturing (AM) of random glass FRCs using Digital Light Processing (DLP) with engineered interleaves.
• To investigate the impact of interleaf material and thickness on mechanical properties and fracture toughness.
• To compare AM-fabricated FRCs with traditionally manufactured ones.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Digital Light Processing (DLP), a vat photo-polymerization technique, for layer-by-layer composite fabrication.
• Engineered interleaves with controlled material and thickness.
• Fabricated and tested various specimens to evaluate tensile/flexural properties and interlaminar fracture toughness.

Main Results:

• Achieved approximately a 60% increase in interlaminar fracture toughness by incorporating a tough resin interleaf.
• Demonstrated layer-by-layer control over interleaf placement and material, which is difficult with traditional methods.
• Identified limitations in mat consolidation for AM parts compared to vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM).

Conclusions:

• DLP additive manufacturing enables precise engineering control over FRC design and fabrication, particularly for interleaf integration.
• The use of tough resin interleaves significantly enhances interlaminar fracture toughness.
• While AM offers distinct advantages in control, challenges in achieving high volume fractions require further engineering solutions.