{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T14:44:45Z","timestamp":1785422685692,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777507200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"U.S. Federal Award","award":["FA9550-22-1-0222"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FA9550-22-1-0222"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000001","name":"National Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2118808"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2118808"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000001","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["2118808"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2118808"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/021nxhr62","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Architected polymer composites use spatially organized phases to achieve targeted property combinations. Shape forming elements (SFEs) are modular coextrusion die inserts that impose internal architectures by reshaping multiple melt streams. This study evaluates three SFE designs (Jacks, I-Beam, and Barn Door) that position a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and an amorphous polyamide (APA) in distinct core\u2013shell configurations. Polymer clay prototyping and ANSYS Polyflow simulations were used to screen flow behavior, followed by extrusion at two puller speeds and characterization via optical microscopy and tensile testing. Microscopy revealed that abrupt area transitions and viscosity contrast disrupt encapsulation and distort designed features. Regression analysis showed that LCP content governs stiffness and strength, while higher puller speed enhances reinforcement through molecular orientation. Cross sectional geometries were quantified using interfacial perimeter, moments of inertia, and polar dispersion ratios, and correlated to tensile performance. Increased interfacial length reduced modulus, strength, and ductility. Modulus improved with LCP orientation and confinement, strength increased when LCP was placed at vertical extremities, and elongation was maximized by horizontally distributing LCP within a thick APA shell. These results demonstrate that SFEs enable tunable tradeoffs between stiffness, strength, and ductility.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18091098","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T08:46:26Z","timestamp":1777538786000},"page":"1098","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Process and Structure Modeling of Architected Thermoplastic Composites Using Shape Forming Elements"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-2269-7619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rebecca H.","family":"Olanrewaju","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Francis College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuefeng","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0312-1583","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thao D.","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1166-4043","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David O.","family":"Kazmer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Francis College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.1002\/pen.10959","article-title":"Structure and mechanical properties of blends of an amorphous polyamide and a liquid crystalline polymer","volume":"42","year":"2002","journal-title":"Polym. 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