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Three‐Dimensional Microvascular Fiber‐Reinforced Composites
Author(s) -
EsserKahn Aaron P.,
Thakre Piyush R.,
Dong Hefei,
Patrick Jason F.,
VlaskoVlasov Vitalii K.,
Sottos Nancy R.,
Moore Jeffrey S.,
White Scott R.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201100933
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , fiber , fiber reinforced composite
A method for fabricating microvascular networks in fiber‐reinforced composites is presented. The method relies on sacrificial fibers woven into fiber preforms that, when removed by depolymerization and volatilization, create 3D microvascular networks inside the composite material. By circulation of functional liquids in the resulting channels, a diverse set of new functionality is demonstrated. Simplicity, robustness, scalability, and reliance on readily available components make this method compatible with composite manufacturing methods.