Composite Materials in Additive Manufacturing: Methods, Models, and Mechanics

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) has opened a new design–manufacture framework for composite materials, enabling spatially tailored architectures and site-specific reinforcement that are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve via conventional routes. In polymer, metal, and ceramic matrix systems alike, AM now supports short/long-fiber reinforcement, particle and whisker additions, nano-fillers (e.g., CNTs/graphene), and even continuous-fiber placement and functionally graded layups. These capabilities allow tight control of the process/structure/property/performance chain: raster strategy, thermal history, and cure/sinter profiles determine porosity, interfacial bonding, residual stresses, anisotropy, and ultimately stiffness, strength, toughness, fatigue/durability, and multifunctionality (thermal/electrical).

Despite rapid progress in terms of processes such as material extrusion (filament/pellet FFF), vat photopolymerization (DLP/SLA), powder-bed fusion (SLS/SLM), directed energy deposition, binder jetting, and emerging hybrid routes, key challenges remain; scalable and repeatable fiber wet-out and alignment, inter-bead/lamina bonding without voids, robust in situ monitoring and digital twins for quality control, reliable multi-physics, multi-scale models for prediction, and sustainable feedstocks/recyclability. Overcoming these issues requires a coordinated triad of experimentation, quantitative characterization (e.g., XCT, nanoindentation, DMA), and computational modeling, a synthesis promoted by this Special Issue.

This Special Issue aims to provide a focused platform for disseminating recent advances, innovative methodologies, and emerging applications in the field of composite materials, fully aligned with the scope of the Journal of Composites Science. The journal emphasizes the processing, properties, characterization, modeling, and performance of polymer-based, fiber-reinforced, ceramic, metal, and hybrid composite systems.

In particular, this publication encourages contributions that integrate experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to address current challenges in composite design, manufacturing optimization, durability assessment, and multi-scale property prediction in fabrication based on 3D printing systems. Studies employing machine learning, digital twins, high-throughput experimentation, or sustainable materials development in additive manufacturing are especially welcome, as they reflect the journal’s vision of promoting innovation at the interface of materials science and engineering.

In this Special Issue, both original research articles and comprehensive review papers are welcome. Contributions are encouraged that address experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of composite materials in additive manufacturing. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Engineer reinforcement architectures (short/continuous fibers, textiles, particles, nano-fillers) for AM, including path planning, preform strategies, and toolpath-aware design.
• Establish quantitative process–structure–property links for AM composites, including interfacial mechanics, crystallinity/cure development, porosity, and anisotropy.
• Develop in situ sensing, closed-loop control, digital twins, and data-driven/ML methods for quality prediction and optimization.
• Advance multi-scale/multi-physics modeling (deposition, cure/sinter, thermal–mechanical coupling) and uncertainty quantification for reliability.
• Demonstrate durability (fatigue, creep, impact, environmental aging) and damage/failure mechanics of AM composites under service-relevant loading.
• Explore sustainable and bio-based feedstocks, recycling/repair, and life-cycle assessment for AM composite supply chains.
• Translate to applications in aerospace, automotive, energy, biomedical devices, and architected/metamaterial systems.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and to compiling a collection of papers that reflects the diversity, innovation, and scientific excellence driving the future of composite materials research.

Dr. Mirsadegh Seyedzavvar
Dr. Cem Boğa
Dr. Samet Akar
Dr. Behzad Hashemi Soudmand
Guest Editors

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