Charpy impact energy absorption of 3D printed continuous Kevlar reinforced composites

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been used widely to produce three-dimensional (3D) parts from computer-aided design (CAD) software. Traditional Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printed polymer parts lack the necessary strength to be used for functional parts in service. The potential of printing continuous fiber reinforced composites has resulted in parts with better mechanical properties and enhanced performance. Very few studies have investigated the impact energy absorption of continuous fiber reinforced 3 D printed composites. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of different fiber patterns (unidirectional versus concentric), different stacking patterns (consolidated versus alternating layers), and fiber orientations (0^°, 90^°, 45^°) on the impact energy absorption of 3 D printed continuous Kevlar fiber reinforced Onyx composites. Charpy impact testing was used to determine the impact energy absorption of the specimens. It was concluded that alternating the fiber and matrix layers as opposed to consolidating all the fiber layers in the center of the specimen results in lower impact energy absorption. Additionally, the specimens with unidirectional 90° fiber orientation had the lowest impact energy absorption among the specimens with alternating stacking pattern and those with consolidated (Formula presented.) 45° angle-ply fiber orientations had the highest impact energy absorption.