Abstract
Multifunctional composites have been widely utilized in aerospace, biomedical and electronic devices. Fiber-reinforced composites are characterized by lightweight, tough, and with high energy absorption capabilities, they have received considerable attentions. Honeycomb structure is one of the typical lightweight structures of fiber-reinforced composites, it features a two-dimensional polygon array with periodic topological organization in the plane, and brings technical challenges to fabricate fiber-reinforced composites. Herein, we present a novel acoustic-assisted 3D printing method to fabricate fiber-reinforced composites with simplified honeycomb structures. Firstly, the surface acoustic wave (SAW) assisted printing system was developed, and its working principle for fiber-reinforced composites printing was introduced. Both carbon fibers and carbon nanofibers can be patterned into fine patterning with the assistance of SAW-induced pressure fields. With a layer-by-layer process, fiber-reinforced composites with simplified honeycomb structures were successfully printed. The compression tests showed that the specific energy absorption of the fiber-reinforced composite was about 168 J/kg and its ultimate stress was 1840 kPa, these values were 75.0 % and 102 % higher than that of the pure resin printed structures, respectively.
