Interfacial characteristics of composites fabricated by laminated object manufacturing

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines interfacial issues that arise when fabricating ceramic (SiC/SiC) and polymer matrix (glass/epoxy) composites using a novel, fully automated rapid prototyping method called Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM). Discussed in this report are the three types of interfaces that are of concern in composites fabricated with the LOM system: interlaminar, particle–matrix in particulate composites, and fiber–matrix in fiber-reinforced composites. In order to obtain good interlaminar adhesion, it was necessary to address three issues: material preforms, LOM processing parameters, and high-temperature post-processing techniques. Developments in each of these areas led to the successful production of high-performance composites using the LOM process.