Ut-Battelle, Inc.

Christopher J Hershey

Vlastimil Kunc

Ahmed A Hassen

John M Lindahl

Brian K Post

Seokpum Kim

Vipin Kumar

Tyler C Smith

An additive manufacturing system for additive manufacturing material with long fibers includes an extruder comprising a nozzle that includes a static-mixing portion, a compression portion, and a long fiber alignment portion. The static-mixing portion includes a static-mixing channel with static-mixing rods distributed inside and extending radially inward from a channel wall. The long fiber alignment portion has an alignment channel with a diameter Dthat is less than a diameter Dof the static-mixing channel. The compression portion includes with a reducing diameter from an input end to an output end of the compression channel. A nozzle and method for additive manufacturing are also disclosed.

Static mixing nozzles for long fiber and resin mixing and dispersing in polymer additive manufacturing

The current embodiments include all-polymeric protective material for mitigating lightning strike damage. The protective material includes a hybrid matrix comprising PANI and MXene dispersed within a thermosetting epoxy resin. This hybrid matrix can be painted, printed, or applied as a conductive polymeric layer to a FRCP structure, for example an aircraft fuselage, wing, empennage, control surface (aileron, flap, slats, rudder, elevator) or a wind turbine blade. The protective material not only withstands lightning strikes, but also functions as shielding against electromagnetic interference and is corrosion-resistant and lightweight.

3D printable polymeric lightning strike protection system for fiber reinforced composites

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Christopher J Hershey