INTERFACIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSITES FABRICATED BY LAMINATED OBJECT MANUFACTURING

This paper examines interfacial issues that arise when fabricating cer amic (SiC/SiC) and polymer matrix (glass/epoxy) composites using a nov el, fully automated rapid prototyping method called Laminated Object M anufacturing (LOM). Discussed in this report are the three types of in terfaces that are of concern in composites fabricated with the LOM sys tem: interlaminar, particle-matrix in particulate composites, and fibe r-matrix in fiber-reinforced composites. In order to obtain good inter laminar adhesion, it was necessary to address three issues: material p reforms, LOM processing parameters, and high-temperature post-processi ng techniques. Developments in each of these areas led to the successf ul production of high-performance composites using the LOM process. (C ) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.