Abstract
In this work, we investigate the mechanical properties of novel types of 3D printed interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) with periodic architectures. IPCs are composites with co-continuous phases that interpenetrate each other in such a way that if one of the phases is removed the remaining phase will form a self-supporting cellular structure. The topology of the architected phase is based on the mathematically-known triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) that minimize the effects of stress concentrations and provide better reinforcement. Here, computer added design (CAD) is employed to design the TPMS-based IPCs, then 3D printing technique was used to fabricate polymer-polymer two-phase IPCs using Polyjet 3D printing technology. The mechanical behavior of these printed IPCs is investigated under uniaxial compression. Results show that while the hard phase endures a larger fraction of the load, the softer phase confine cracks and prevent catastrophic failure. The IPCs follow a bending-dominated deformation behavior and are potential candidates for applications were damage toleration and vibration damping is a requirement.
Original language | British English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9-19 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Composite Structures |
Volume | 176 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 15 Sep 2017 |
Keywords
- 3D printing
- Additive manufacturing (AM)
- Interpenetrating phase composites (IPC)
- Triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)