3D printing of layered ceramic/carbon fiber composite with improved toughness

Strong and tough ceramic materials are required for many structural applications, however, these properties tend to be mutually exclusive in many man-made ceramic materials. Inspired by composition of biological materials such as nacre, this work offers a simple and versatile 3D printing approach based on the concept of layered ceramics to overcome such limitations, obtaining both high strength and toughness. The resulting layered ceramic/carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites exhibit an excellent combination of high strength, fracture toughness and work of fracture. Such fracture-resistant behavior can be attributed to the toughening mechanisms of crack deflection, lamellae and fiber 'pull-out', polymer inelastic deformation, and interfacial debonding. This strategy enables the fabrication of layered ceramic/polymer composites with remarkable properties, thus demonstrating its potential applicability to fabricating other layered composites.

Automated summary

Inspired by biological materials, this study presents a 3D printing approach for layered ceramics that achieves both high strength and toughness. The resulting composite materials exhibit an excellent combination of high strength, fracture toughness, and work of fracture, attributed to multiple toughening mechanisms.