Abstract
The conventional composite fabrication processes, such as hand lay-up, autoclave, vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding, and filament winding, hinder the prospect of future development and application due to expensive mold fabrication, limited part geometries, and lack of repeatability. An extrusion-based additive manufacturing technique, such as direct-ink-writing (DIW), undermines the limitation of conventional manufacturing processes, which opens up the horizon of multi-material parts fabrication cost-effectively. This research investigates 3D printed single filament printing and characterization under tensile loading. In 3D printing, a single filament representative volume element (RVE), which upon stacking a series of RVE layer-by-layer in sequence, forms a 3D object. Thus, the deformation behavior of a single filament and the load transfer mechanisms to neighboring filament through the interface plays a critical role. An adequate understanding of single filament’s failure mechanisms and the contribution of interfaces in a 3D printed multi-filament object is yet to be understood. This research extensively focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of the behavior of a 3D printed single filament under tensile loading. The DIW ink composite sample comprises milled carbon fibers, two-part epoxy resin, silica fillers, and plastic additives.
