Short-continuous Carbon Fiber Synchronous Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites: An Analysis on the Manufacturing and 3D Printing Process of Its Prepreg Filament

The 3D printing technology of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites is an effective way to realize the integrated manufacturing of advanced composite parts with complex structures. Due to the discontinuity of short fiber and the weak load transfer capability of the matrix between continuous fibers, the mechanical property enhancement of 3D printed single-form（short or continuous） fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites has entered a bottleneck period. In order to break through the technical bottleneck of high-quality manufacturing for advanced composite parts with complex structures, it is vital to develop the short-continuous carbon fiber synchronous reinforced thermoplastic composites（S/C-CFRTP） 3D printing technology. However, due to the high melt viscosity of the matrix containing short fiber and the rapidly changing temperature-pressure of the deposition material,it is difficult to make a full impregnation between continuous carbon fiber and matrix during the in-situ impregnation 3D printing