The Boeing Company
Additive manufacturing fiber composites and related systems and methods

Abstract:

Additive manufacturing fiber composites comprise a bundle of elongate fibers and a matrix material that holds or encompasses the elongate fibers of the additive manufacturing fiber tow. The matrix material includes an energy-emissive dopant that emits a curing energy in response to receiving an activating energy. The curing energy effects curing of the solidifiable matrix material so that it solidifies to a rigid or semi-rigid matrix material. Methods of additively manufacturing an article include dispensing an additive manufacturing fiber tow, a solidifiable matrix material, and an energy-emissive dopant to form a solidifiable composite, and applying the activating energy to the energy-emissive dopant to activate the energy-emissive dopant to emit the curing energy. Systems to additively manufacturing an article may be configured to employ such additive manufacturing fiber composites and/or methods.