Additive manufacturing (AM) holds tremendous promise in terms of revolutionizing manufacturing. However, fundamental hurdles limit the widespread adoption of this technology. First, production rates are extremely low. Second, the physical size of the parts is generally small, less than a cubic foot. Third, the mechanical properties of the polymer parts are generally poor, limiting the potential for direct part replacement and functional use of the polymer components. This article describes various ways in which carbon fibers (CFs) can be used to address these fundamental hurdles. First, CF-reinforced polymers developed for AM have demonstrated specific strengths approaching aerospace-quality aluminum. Second, CF additions can radically reduce the distortion and warping of the material during deposition, which enables large-scale, out-of-the-oven, high deposition rate manufacturing. Finally, the complementary nature of CF technology and AM is discussed, showing how merging the two manufacturing processes enables the construction of complex components that would not be possible with either technology alone.

Pulsed laser ablation has been used to deposit thin films of SrFeO25+x (x = 0 to ≈0.5). Previous work has shown that the orientation of the films, determined by powder x-ray diffraction depended strongly upon the deposition temperature. Films grown below 770 K showed little or no orientation. A growth temperature of 900 K resulted in films oriented (200). Growth temperatures of > 1000 K produced films oriented predominantly (110). At 673 K in an oxygen atmosphere, oriented films readily converted from the oxygen deficient brownmillerite form (x=0) to the oxygen rich cubic (or distorted cubic) perovskite form (x≈0.3). Films which exhibited no initial orientation did not react with oxygen under these conditions. Cycling non-oriented films between 230 and 800 ppm of oxygen in 101.3 kPa of nitrogen at 673 K resulted in weak (110) orientation. Once oriented, the films reacted readily with oxygen and exhibited measurable resistance changes. The conversion from oxygen deficient to oxygen rich form was monitored by x-ray diffraction and the DC resistance of the films.