Monitoring of Dynamic Recovery in 3D Printed Thermoset Nanocomposites

Additive manufacturing has made big strides in metals and polymer-based material processing applications; however, the processing of structural composites is still a challenge that requires a number of technical engineering and material improvements. State of the art, off the shelf, feedstock materials do not offer sufficient thermal and mechanical properties to compete with resin systems that are currently used in conventional polymer matrix composites. The goal of this work is to capture multiscale and temporal morphology and dynamics within thermosetting composite inks to get a better understanding of parameters that govern the printing process and establish a processing-structure-performance relationship that enables scientists and engineers to design optimal materials and processes to obtain additively manufactured parts with properties that, at minimum, come close to those known for conventional polymer matrix composites. Herein we use X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy to reveal both morphology and dynamics of a thermoset composite ink composed of a rheology modifier (layered-silicate Cloisite 30B) and epoxy resin (EPON 826) during the printing process in real time and at critical locations along the print processing path.