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Systematic Generation, Analysis, and Characterization of 3D Micro-architected Metamaterials
Ninad T Trifale1, Eric A Nauman1, Kazuaki Yazawa1
1Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|December 16, 2016
Summary
Researchers developed a novel method to control microlattice structures by focusing on discrete topology, not just porosity. This allows for significant customization of material properties, outperforming traditional porous materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Physics
Background:
- Controlling unit-cell topology in microlattice structures is key to customizing anisotropic material properties.
- Conventional methods focus on average porosity, limiting property optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a systematic methodology for generating microlattice structures by controlling discrete topology.
- To evaluate the degree of anisotropy and optimize structures for specific applications.
Main Methods:
- Developed an algorithm to generate valid lattice structures from template nodes.
- Created generic models to calculate effective thermal and mechanical properties based on topology and porosity.
- Represented structures as graphs (adjacency matrices) for analysis.
Main Results:
- Generated and analyzed 160,000 unique microlattice structures.
- Achieved property ranges over an order of magnitude greater than porous-metal foams.
- Observed maximum anisotropy ratios of 7.1 for thermal and 8.2 for mechanical properties.
Conclusions:
- The discrete topology control method offers superior customization of material properties.
- Preliminary experimental results validate the predicted anisotropy ratios for thermal conductivity and stiffness.
