In-Plane Elastic Properties of 3D-Printed Graded Hierarchical Hexagonal Honeycombs

In this study, the graded hierarchical hexagonal honeycomb (GHHH) integrating gradient design and hierarchical design was fabricated using the 3D-printing technique, and its in-plane elastic properties were investigated theoretically, experimentally, and numerically. Theoretical solutions were developed based on the Euler beam theory to predict the effective elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of GHHH, and theoretical values were in good agreement with the experimental and numerical results. The effect of gradient design and hierarchical design on the in-plane elastic properties of GHHH was also analyzed and compared. Results showed that the hierarchical design has a more significant effect on Poisson's ratio and adjusting the internal forces of GHHH compared with the gradient design. In addition, it was found that GHHH exhibited higher stiffness compared with regular hexagonal honeycomb (RHH), graded hexagonal honeycomb (GHH), and vertex-based hierarchical hexagonal honeycomb (VHHH) under the constraint of the same relative density, respectively. Specifically, the effective elastic modulus of GHHH can be enhanced by 119.82% compared to that of RHH. This research will help to reveal the effect of integrating hierarchical design and gradient design on the in-plane elastic properties of honeycombs.