3D Printed Tubulanes as Lightweight Hypervelocity Impact Resistant Structures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Lightweight materials with high ballistic impact resistance and load-bearing capabilities are highly sought after.
• Nature achieves these properties using complex geometries in soft organic materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the compressive deformation and ballistic impact properties of 3D printed polymer structures (tubulanes).
• To explore the potential of architecturally engineered materials inspired by nanoscale structures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of three distinct 3D printed polymer structures (tubulanes).
• Testing of compressive deformation and hypervelocity ballistic impact resistance.
• Analysis of deformation mechanisms across multiple length scales.

Main Results:

• Macroscopic tubulanes demonstrated remarkable load-bearing and hypervelocity impact resistance.
• A lamellar deformation mechanism, originating from the ordered pore structure, was identified.
• This mechanism was observed across nano to macro dimensions, indicating multi-scale structural integrity.

Conclusions:

• 3D printed tubulanes offer a promising approach to creating advanced lightweight materials.
• Morphological engineering inspired by atomic and nanoscale models enables tunable mechanical properties.
• This strategy facilitates the design of materials with superior ballistic and load-bearing performance.