Mechanical properties of additively manufactured multi-material stiff-soft interfaces: Guidelines to manufacture complex interface composites with tunable properties

The rapid growth of polyjet additive manufacturing has propelled the 3D printing of multi-material polymer composites toward unprecedented applications. Interfaces in such composites play a paramount role in determining mechanical performance. This study delves into the crucial role of interfaces, e...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ashish Ghimire, Po-Yu Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-02-01
Series:Materials & Design
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127524000492
Description
Summary:The rapid growth of polyjet additive manufacturing has propelled the 3D printing of multi-material polymer composites toward unprecedented applications. Interfaces in such composites play a paramount role in determining mechanical performance. This study delves into the crucial role of interfaces, employing VeroWhite and Agilus30Black materials to scrutinize the tensile and shear properties of stiff-soft interfaces. By applying these layers strategically, composites with multi-oriented interfaces were created, revealing the impact of soft material thickness and orientation on stiffness and strength. We identified columnar and non-columnar fracture mechanisms, shedding light on their correlation with interface hardening. Nanoindentation tests unveil the local interface properties, emphasizing the gradient change in elastic modulus when printed on the x-axis and the sharp drop on the z-axis. These findings offer valuable insights into material selection and interface optimization, providing a roadmap for achieving tailored mechanical properties in complex interface composites.
ISSN:0264-1275