Multi-material 3D printed mechanical metamaterials: Rational design of elastic properties through spatial distribution of hard and soft phases

Abstract

Up until recently, the rational design of mechanical metamaterials has usually involved devising geometrical arrangements of micro-architectures that deliver unusual properties on the macro-scale. A less explored route to rational design is spatially distributing materials with different properties within lattice structures to achieve the desired mechanical properties. Here, we used computational models and advanced multi-material 3D printing techniques to rationally design and additively manufacture multi-material cellular solids for which the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio could be independently tailored in different (anisotropic) directions. The random assignment of a hard phase to originally soft cellular structures with an auxetic, zero Poisson's ratio, and conventional designs allowed us to cover broad regions of the elastic modulus-Poisson's ratio plane. Patterned designs of the hard phase were also used and were found to be effective in the independent tuning of the elastic properties. Close inspection of the strain distributions associated with the different types of material distributions suggests that locally deflected patterns of deformation flow and strain localizations are the main underlying mechanisms driving the above-mentioned adjustments in the mechanical properties.