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Manufacturing of Bioinspired SS316L-Based Multimaterials: Processing, Mechanical Properties and Modeling
Vinod Kumar Darapureddy1, Tuhin Mukherjee2, Sonia Mary Chacko3
1Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, School of Engineering, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA.
Micromachines
|June 26, 2026
Summary
This study developed a hybrid additive manufacturing method using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to create stainless steel-copper (SS316L-Cu) lattice structures. Copper infiltration significantly enhanced ductility by 30% in SS316L-Cu composites, offering robust mechanical and thermal properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Additive manufacturing enables complex geometries, but multimaterial fabrication remains challenging.
- Bioinspired designs can optimize mechanical performance in metallic structures.
- Stainless steel 316L (SS316L) and copper (Cu) offer distinct mechanical and thermal properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a hybrid additive manufacturing approach for SS316L-Cu multimaterial structures.
- To investigate the influence of geometric parameters (wall thickness) on mechanical properties.
- To evaluate the effect of copper infiltration on SS316L lattice structures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SS316L honeycomb lattice structures using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF).
- Copper (Cu) infiltration into SS316L lattice structures.
- Mechanical testing (tensile) according to ISO 6892 standards.
- Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study atomic-scale deformation.
Main Results:
- Mechanical performance strongly depended on lattice wall thickness.
- Copper infiltration improved SS316L lattice ductility by 30% with minimal tensile strength reduction.
- MD simulations validated the trend of strength enhancement with increasing wall thickness.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid LPBF and liquid Cu infiltration method is effective for creating multifunctional SS316L-Cu composites.
- This approach yields mechanically robust and thermally conductive materials.
- Findings provide insights for designing next-generation metallic composites for structural and thermal applications.
