Novel manufacturing method for FRP composites with a multifunctional vascular network

Novel manufacturing method for FRP composites with a multifunctional vascular network

Boba, K.
Heath, C.
Bond, I.P.
Trask, R.S.
Wass, D.F.

2013-06-16

Fibre reinforced polymer composite materials are becoming more widely adopted for high performance industrial applications. The hierarchical nature of these materials offers a unique opportunity to incorporate multi-functionality whilst maintaining their excellent mechanical properties. Ideally, multifunctional composites can be configured to mimic natural biological systems. For example, the fabrication of an embedded array of hollow channels in the form of a vascular network can be utilised to provide a variety of functions, including self-healing, thermal management or sensing and actuation [1]. Previous research has shown that vascular integration into FRP laminates can be achieved through incorporation of material in-situ (hollow glass fibres [2] or polyether ether ketone (PEEK) tubing [1]), or through a “lost-wax” process using solder [3,4]. This study considers a novel manufacturing method for hollow channel fabrication, with the intention of limiting damage to the FRP laminates during post-cure channel manufacture, using Polylactic Acid (PLA) coated Nichrome wires to produce vascular networks running through multiple levels of the FRP ply stack. Low voltage resistive heating of the Nichrome wires enables their removal from the FRP post cure, even in complex shapes. The successful manufacture of an Animalia inspired network design was achieved within a glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) panel. Furthermore, for panels subjected to steady state heating, the branched network displayed far greater cooling potential than the parallel channel design. This suggests the possibility to manufacture more complex networks within FRP laminate structures, facilitating their multi-functionality, namely for thermal management or self-healing applications.

vascular network
self-healing
thermal management
pluripotential
Poly(lactic acid)

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:cf961231-1dda-4cc7-ae89-b36dc6c84d1f

Conference proceedings

conference paper

(c) 2013 Boba, K.; Heath, C.; Bond, I.P.; Trask, R.S.; Wass, D.F.