Session: 03-05-01: Bioinspired materials

Paper Number: 151969

151969 - Quantification of Cohesive Properties in Bioinspired Interfaces of 3D-Printed Heterogeneous Materials 

This study employs a Cohesive Zone Model to quantitatively evaluate the evolution of interfacial fracture parameters across various interface architectures in 3D printed Heterogeneous materials. Employing the Material Extrusion (ME) type 3D printing method, we fabricate bioinspired suture-like interfaces characterized by the interpenetration of soft and hard soft phases of hetergonous materials. We use a model material system comprising Polylactic Acid (PLA) as the hard phase and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) as the soft phase. Modulating a critical parameter in the ME process enables the variation of the interpenetration length of protrusions at the interface, thereby achieving a spectrum of interfacial strength and toughness.

Cohesive traction-separation curves are directly derived through the double edge notch tension (DENT) test. The shape of these curves exhibits significant dependence on interface morphology, transitioning from a triangular to a trapezoidal shape as the interpenetration length increases. Simultaneously, the identical set of interface morphologies is subjected to testing within the Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) test geometry to obtain crack growth resistance (R-) curves. Subsequently, the experimentally derived traction-separation curves are integrated into numerical models of the DCB geometry established in ABAQUS. The experimentally obtained traction-separation curves accurately reproduce the experimentally obtained R-curves. Hence, the proposed method demonstrates efficacy in successfully extracting cohesive parameters of bioinspired interfaces across a broad range of interface strength and toughness. This methodology holds promise as a characterization technique for 3D printed bioinspired interfaces in heterogeneous materials.

Presenting Author: Denizhan Yavas Rice University

Presenting Author Biography: Denizhan Yavas