Additive manufacturing of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoset composites via in-situ thermal curing

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are lightweight structural materials widely used in the transportation and energy industries. Current approaches for the manufacture of composites require expensive tooling and long, energy-intensive processing, resulting in a high cost of manufacturing, limited design complexity, and low fabrication rates. Here, we report rapid, scalable, and energy-efficient additive manufacturing of fiber-reinforced thermoset composites, while eliminating the need for tooling or molds. Use of a thermoresponsive thermoset resin as the matrix of composites and localized, remote heating of carbon fiber reinforcements via photothermal conversion enables rapid, in-situ curing of composites…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 2239563
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy
• CS
  Colorado State University

  Award: SCR_021758
• CO
  Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
• OO
  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• DO
  Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation
• OO
  Office of Energy Efficiency