The research objective of this award is to study high-performance carbon-polymer periodic interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) with enhanced mechanical properties (including stiffness, strength, impact resistance, toughness, energy dissipation, and damage tolerance) through an integrated approach combining design, fabrication, analysis and experiment. Geometries based on triply periodic minimal surfaces and 3-D microtrusses will be used to optimally design microstructures of the IPCs, and 3-D direct-write printing technologies will be employed to fabricate them. Analytical and computational micromechanics models will be developed to simulate the IPCs, and various tests will be conducted to characterize the fabricated IPCs and to validate the models. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will provide guidelines for engineering and tailoring IPCs to achieve optimized properties.
The successful completion of the research will lead to new structure-property-function relationships needed for achieving new and improved mechanical properties of IPCs, thereby significantly improving our current understanding of IPCs with enhanced mechanical performance. The project will provide a demonstration of the modern concept of materials-by-design. It will offer an example of futuristic composite material technology. The research methodology, tools, and results generated in this project will be documented and used to improve both undergraduate and graduate curricula, which will enable engineering students to access cutting-edge research facilities and acquire new knowledge. The integrated educational plan will greatly enhance the students' learning experience, challenge their intellectual curiosity and motivate them to pursue careers in research and education. New findings will be made available on the Internet and to K-12 students through outreach activities.
