Thermoplastic reinforced micro-truss materials

摘要

A micro-truss fabricated of thermosetting polymer and toughened with a coating of thermoplastic polymer. In one embodiment the thermosetting polymer micro-truss is immersed in a solution of thermoplastic polymer in an organic solvent. The immersion causes the micro-truss to absorb the thermoplastic polymer solution and to become coated with the thermoplastic polymer solution. Subsequent drying of the micro-truss leaves a coating of thermoplastic polymer on the micro-truss, and a layer of thermosetting polymer into which the thermoplastic polymer has penetrated. In another embodiment a thermoplastic monomer solution is allowed to diffuse into, and coat, the thermosetting polymer micro-truss, and the thermoplastic monomer is subsequently polymerized.

主权项

1. A toughened polymer micro-truss, comprising a regular plurality of truss elements,
each of the plurality of truss elements comprising a thermoset polymer and a thermoplastic polymer, and each of the plurality of truss elements further comprising a coating of the thermoplastic polymer, the ratio of the diameter of the truss element to the thickness of the coating being greater than 0.5 and less than 2000, the micro-truss being a self-supporting structure, the plurality of truss elements comprising:
a plurality of first truss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction;a plurality of second truss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction; anda plurality of third truss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction, the plurality of first truss elements, the plurality of second truss elements, and the plurality of third truss elements interpenetrating at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material, wherein the third direction is not in a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction.