Intrabead and Interbead Fracture Analysis of Large Area Additive Manufactured Polymer and Polymer Composites
Abstract
Large-Area Additive Manufacturing (LAAM) has seen increased application in manufacturing meter-scale, polymeric composite structural parts, especially for tooling and fixturing. Unfortunately, LAAM introduces manufacturing-induced defects in printed composites, e.g., intrabead microvoids and poor interbead adhesion that are not otherwise seen when traditional manufacturing methods are used, causing degradation of mechanical and fracture properties. In this paper, the fracture behavior of neat acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and short carbon fiber-reinforced ABS (CF/ABS) fabricated by LAAM is compared and analyzed by evaluating their energy release rate GIc and fracture mechanisms. A double cantilever beam with doublers (DCB-D) test for single-bead, double-bead, and multiple-bead configurations is developed by incorporating rigid doublers to reduce the compressive failure at the crack tip, allowing for the measurement of crack propagation. A new data reduction method for these configurations is derived to remove the doubler effect from the GIc calculation, producing 'pure' intrabead and interbead GIc values. We show that CF/ABS is more damage tolerant than ABS at the intrabead level, but less damage tolerant than ABS at the interbead level. The development of plastic ligaments in ABS helps dissipate additional strain energy, improving the overall energy release rate. The experimental fracture test approach developed here is expected to provide mechanistic insight into their damage tolerance capability, accelerating the qualification process of LAAM-produced polymer and polymer composites.
Recommended Citation
A. Yudhanto et al., "Intrabead and Interbead Fracture Analysis of Large Area Additive Manufactured Polymer and Polymer Composites," Composites Science and Technology, vol. 266, article no. 111173, Elsevier, Jun 2025.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111173
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Energy release rate; Large area additive manufacturing; Mode I fracture; Short fiber polymer composites
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0266-3538
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
16 Jun 2025
Comments
Baylor University, Grant None