A perspective on intelligent design of engineered materials and structures by interface mechanics

Abstract

Engineering design of materials and structures has evolved radically from earliest employment of single phase materials with a focus on optimization of geometric shapes to recent multiphase materials with tactful integration and assembly in both geometric shapes and material domains. In these recent design concepts and strategies, the interfaces are crucial and leveraged to achieve properties and functionalities surpassing those of individual material/phase components and/or their simple superpositions. This perspective focuses on the underpinned interface mechanics view in which insights are essential to understand fundamentals of integration, tailoring and assembly of multiphase materials with diverse geometric layouts. The view also provides insights to enable creations of intelligent new design concepts and approaches of materials and structures capable of being readily manufactured with current technologies. Selected examples of engineered materials and structures enabled by either solid-solid or solid-liquid interactions are provided to highlight the driving role of interface mechanics in designs and to outlook the associated future opportunities and challenges.