Research Catalyst projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This project at Prairie View A&M University focuses on developing 3D printing technology to manufacture bio-fiber reinforced composite materials; and provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to enhance their education through research experiences. The researcher has established a strong collaboration with faculty at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute.
The goal of this research is to utilize the laminated object manufacturing (LOM) technology for rapid prototyping laminated bio-composite parts that are made from bio-fiber reinforcements and bio-resin matrix, which can be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional, non-biodegradable advanced composite parts in industrial prototyping/manufacturing applications. A functional LOM 3D printer will be designed and built, which uses bio-prepregs made from selected woven bio-fiber and bio-resin that is partially cured as starting work materials for the LOM process. This process will involve the design of experiments, optimization of work material composition, individual process result comparisons, design for manufacturing and assembly, as well as closed-loop control theory implementations. The qualitites of 3D printed bio-parts will be assessed based on their geometric accuracies and mechanical properties, which will be compared to the original input model, as well as 3D printed parts made from other common rapid prototyping technologies and materials. This research seeks to use 100% biodegradable composite materials for rapid prototyping purposes to achieve similar or better part quality results than regular 3D printing strategies, as well as reduce the carbon footprint of the process. The idea of using biodegradable materials for rapid prototyping processes will also act as an excellent guide for 'green' manufacturing process developments in the future.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
