Hybrid Materials: Three‐Dimensional Microvascular Fiber‐Reinforced Composites (Adv. Mater. 32/2011)

Four undulating microchannels of a 3D microvascular network are integrated into a structural composite, as revealed by microCT imaging. Jeffrey S. Moore, Scott R. White, and co-workers report that fabrication is accomplished by weaving sacrificial polylactide fibers into the preform prior to conventional composite manufacturing. A post-curing process depolymerizes the polylactide, leaving behind high-fidelity, inverse replicas of the original sacrificial fiber.