Composite structure having modifier material printed thereon

Abstract

A composite fiber may include at least one reinforcing filament formed of a first material. A second material maybe systematically deposited in a printed onto the at least one reinforcing filament such that at least one of a length, a width, and a thickness of the second material varies across a surface of the at least one reinforcing filament. The printed pattern may alter one or more properties of a composite structure containing the composite fiber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composite fiber, comprising:
 at least one reinforcing filament formed of a first material and   a second material systematically deposited in a pattern onto the at least one reinforcing filament such that at least one of a length, a width, and a thickness of the second material varies across a surface of the at least one reinforcing filament.   
     
     
         2 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the reinforcing filament includes a sizing applied in a uniform sizing thickness to a filament surface of the at least one reinforcing filament; and   the second material systematically deposited onto the sizing of the at least one reinforcing filament.   
     
     
         3 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the length, the width, and the thickness of the second material is approximately 0.01 to 100 microns.   
     
     
         4 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second material is comprised of any one or more of the following: inks, granules, extrusion media, organic monomers, prepolymers, polymers, metallic powders, inorganic fillers in an aqueous or solvent-based solution, silica, block copolymers, graphene platelets, polymer nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes.   
     
     
         5 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second material is applied onto the at least one reinforcing filament using a deposition head of a printing device.   
     
     
         6 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more additional materials including a third material systematically deposited onto the at least one reinforcing filament.   
     
     
         7 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second material is applied to at least two different surfaces associated with a bundle of reinforcing filaments forming the composite fiber.   
     
     
         8 . The composite fiber of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the surfaces include at least one of a top surface, a bottom surface, and side surfaces of the composite fiber.   
     
     
         9 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second material is printed onto at least one reinforcing filament as pixels each having a thickness of up to  100  microns.   
     
     
         10 . The composite fiber of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one reinforcing filament comprises a plurality of reinforcing filaments in at least one of the following forms: a fiber tow, unidirectional tape, woven fabric, non-crimp fabric, a braid, a composite ply or preform.   
     
     
         11 . A composite structure, comprising:
 a resin;   a plurality of reinforcing filaments embedded in the resin and formed of a first material; and   a second material systematically deposited onto the plurality of reinforcing filaments such that at least one of a length, a width, or a thickness varies across a filament surface of the plurality of reinforcing filaments.   
     
     
         12 . The composite structure of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the composite structure has at least one composite structure property that is altered due to systematic deposition of the second material onto the reinforcing filaments relative to the composite structure property of a composite structure having reinforcing filaments that are devoid of the second material.   
     
     
         13 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the altered composite structure property includes at least one of the following:   toughness, volume fraction, permeability, modulus, cure shrinkage, filament tack, flammability, and electrical conductivity.   
     
     
         14 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 one or more additional materials including a third material systematically deposited onto the at least one reinforcing filament using a deposition head of a printer; and   the composite structure having at least two different composite structure properties that are altered due to printing of the respective second and third material to the at least one reinforcing filament relative to the composite structure properties of a composite structure having reinforcing filaments that are devoid of the second and third material.   
     
     
         15 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the plurality of reinforcing filaments each include a sizing applied in a uniform sizing thickness to a filament surface of the plurality of reinforcing filaments; and   the second material systematically deposited onto the sizing of the plurality of reinforcing filaments.   
     
     
         16 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 at least one of the length, the width, and the thickness of the second material is approximately 0.01 to 100 microns.   
     
     
         17 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the second material is comprised of any one or more of the following: inks, granules, extrusion media, organic monomers, prepolymers, polymers, metallic powders, inorganic fillers in an aqueous or solvent-based solution, silica, block copolymers, graphene platelets, polymer nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes.   
     
     
         18 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the second material is applied onto the plurality of reinforcing filaments using a deposition head of a printing device.   
     
     
         19 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the second material is printed onto the plurality of reinforcing filaments as pixels each having a thickness of up to 100 microns.   
     
     
         20 . The composite structure of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the plurality of reinforcing filaments are provided in at least one of the following forms: fiber tows, unidirectional tape, woven fabric, non-crimp fabric, a braid, a composite ply or preform.