Project Investigation of mechanical properties of recycled carbon-fiber reinforced composite part with 3D printed continuous fiber preform Program DUIRI - Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship Term Summer 2023 Status Closed Research Area Global Sustainability Description End-of-life (EOL) Fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite parts are often grinded and reformed for recycling. During the grinding process, continuous fibers in the composite parts are broken down into short fibers, which reduces the overall mechanical properties of the recycled composite parts. This devaluation of the composite material limits the potential applications of recycled composites. To address this challenge, the authors propose using a 3D printed continuous carbon fiber composite preform to reinforce critical areas of the recycled composite part. By strategically identifying the local sections of the part that are critical during loading conditions, the authors can reinforce the areas with the continuous fiber composite preform to improve the mechanical properties of the recycled composite parts, such as strength and stiffness. The proposed approach has the great potential to broaden the applications of recycled composites. Supervisor Garam Kim Mentor R Byron Pipes Type of work required The students will learn and experience the composite part fabrication, sample mechanical testing and characterization. Websites
Raisbeck Advanced Composite Laboratory (RACL): https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/facilities/raisbeck-advanced-composite-laboratory
Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center (CMSC): https://www.purdue.edu/cmsc/
Qualifications GPA: 3.5 or above Composite part fabrication skill and experience will be preferred Self-motivated students who are interested in conducting research Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 40 (estimated)