3D Printed Composite Materials and Structures

Dear Colleagues,

Novel composite materials and structures draw increasing attention due to their high mechanical properties and lightweight performance, showing great potential applications in automotive, aerospace and other industries. However, traditional processing methods, such as casting, machining, injection molding and hot press molding limit the manufacture of complicated structures. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, provides solutions for manufacturing composite structures with high functional performance. The special issue of the Journal of Composites Science, “3D printed composite materials and structures”, aims to present the latest advances focusing on novel composite materials and structures processed by advanced additive manufacturing (e.g., fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), and stereolithography (SLA), etc.). In this special issue, we invite you to submit a manuscript studying but not limited to novel materials, structural design and optimization, advanced processing methods, etc. It is welcome that the investigations on the compressive and impact behaviors of 3D printed composite materials (metals or polymers) and structures, but not limited to the mechanical properties. In this special issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following: 

• Materials characterization for additive manufacturing (e.g., advanced matrix material, short fiber-reinforced composite, continuous fiber-reinforced composite, etc.);
• Advanced post-processing technology for 3D printed materials (e.g., heat treatment, hot isostatic pressing, etc.);
• Constitutive modeling of 3D printed materials under extreme mechanics and environments (e.g., high strain rate effect, extreme ambient temperature, etc.);
• 3D printed functional materials and structures (e.g., shape memory polymer and composite, metamaterials, and multi-functional material, etc.);
• Compressive and impact behaviors of 3D printed composite structures (e.g., thin-walled structures, honeycomb structures and lattice structures, etc.);
• Collapse mechanisms and theoretical modeling methods;
• Bio-inspired and fractal structural design methods and composite structures. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xiang Xu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• 3D printing/additive manufacturing
• fiber-reinforced composites
• hierarchical/porous structures
• functional structures
• advanced processing technology
• collapse mechanisms and modeling
• multiscale
• lightweight