Communication

Three-Dimensional Microvascular Fiber-Reinforced Composites

  1. Aaron P. Esser-Kahn1,
  2. Piyush R. Thakre2,
  3. Hefei Dong3,
  4. Jason F. Patrick4,
  5. Vitalii K. Vlasko-Vlasov5,
  6. Nancy R. Sottos3,
  7. Jeffrey S. Moore1,3,*,
  8. Scott R. White6,*

Article first published online: 15 JUL 2011

DOI: 10.1002/adma.201100933

Issue

Advanced Materials

Advanced Materials

Volume 23, Issue 32, pages 3654–3658, August 23, 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Esser-Kahn, A. P., Thakre, P. R., Dong, H., Patrick, J. F., Vlasko-Vlasov, V. K., Sottos, N. R., Moore, J. S. and White, S. R. (2011), Three-Dimensional Microvascular Fiber-Reinforced Composites. Advanced Materials, 23: 3654–3658. doi: 10.1002/adma.201100933

Author Information

  1. 1

    Chemistry Department, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

  2. 2

    Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

  3. 3

    Materials Science and Engineering Department, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

  4. 4

    Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

  5. 5

    Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA

  6. 6

    Aerospace Engineering Department, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

*Chemistry Department, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 12 AUG 2011
  2. Article first published online: 15 JUL 2011
  3. Manuscript Revised: 20 MAY 2011
  4. Manuscript Received: 11 MAR 2011

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Keywords:

  • biomimetics;
  • hybrid materials;
  • composites;
  • fibers;
  • microfluidics

Graphical Abstract

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A method for fabricating microvascular networks in fiber-reinforced composites is presented. The method relies on sacrificial fibers woven into fiber preforms that, when removed by depolymerization and volatilization, create 3D microvascular networks inside the composite material. By circulation of functional liquids in the resulting channels, a diverse set of new functionality is demonstrated. Simplicity, robustness, scalability, and reliance on readily available components make this method compatible with composite manufacturing methods.

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