The Effect of Process Parameters on the Structural Energetic Properties of Additively Manufactured Reactive Structures

Abstract

This paper investigates the ability of an aluminum-fluoropolymer energetic material to act as a multifunctional energetic structural material (MESM). The mechanical properties of the material were determined by performing quasi-static tensile testing of 3D printed dogbones. Samples were prepared with and without particle loading, as well as with different print directions, in order to gain a fundamental understanding of how these parameters affect the mechanical properties of the material. Larger truss samples were printed in order to simulate realistic structural elements. Samples were printed in different directions and burned to determine this parameter’s effect on the combustion performance of the material. The aluminum polyvinylidene fluoride mixtures considered were shown to have viable structural capabilities as well as sufficient combustion performance. The structural energetic capabilities of the formulations considered, paired with the material’s ability to be 3D printed, could enable a number of interesting applications in the aerospace and defense industry.

Structural Energetic Properties of Al/PVDF Composite Materials Prepared Using Fused Filament Fabrication

“…A line‐of‐best‐fit was then used to approximate the propagation speed or burning rate. It should be noted that for all of the formulations considered, a consistent progression was observed in the flame front of the printed samples, resulting in linear position versus time data, as similarly shown in previous work [2, 3]. This is indicative of the sample containing minimal gaps or defects.…”

“…A three‐step process was used to 3D print dogbones (ASTM D638, Type V [23]) for quasi‐static mechanical testing. The process involved making pellets, extruding them into a filament, and then printing them using a MakerBot Replicator 2X, as previously demonstrated [2, 3]. The work in this paper, as previously discussed, involves varying the constituents of the reactive materials during the pellet making process.…”

“…Recent advancements in the additive manufacturing (AM) of energetic materials allow for the creation of complex, energetic structural elements [1–4]. The flexibility of additive manufacturing is opening new application spaces that were previously unattainable due to manufacturing limitations [5–7], such as the fabrication and use of components comprised of multifunctional energetic structural materials (MESMs).…”

“…While many MESM applications require high‐density reactive materials, such as intermetallic or thermite based energetic material systems, creating complex 3D geometries using AM has not yet been achieved (to the best of the authors’ knowledge) for these material systems [8–10]. However, lower density polymer‐based energetic materials have shown promise in the additive manufacturing space [1–4, 11, 12]. These materials can be used as lightweight MESMs, which can be used in a variety of interesting applications in the aerospace and defense sectors.…”

“…to have promising lightweight MESM capabilities. Previous works both demonstrated the ability to 3D print this material [2] and determined the effect of various printing parameters on the structural energetic properties of the material [3]. This work seeks to determine the influence of material selection on the structural energetic properties of the MESM of interest and to develop material selection plots capable of serving as a guide for the design of metal/fluoropolymer energetic structures.…”