Resilient 3D hierarchical architected metamaterials
Abstract
Fractal-like architectures exist in natural materials, like shells and bone, and have drawn considerable interest because of their mechanical robustness and damage tolerance. Developing hierarchically designed metamaterials remains a highly sought after task impaired mainly by limitations in fabrication techniques. We created 3D hierarchical nanolattices with individual beams comprised of multiple self-similar unit cells spanning length scales over four orders of magnitude in fractal-like geometries. We show, through a combination of experiments and computations, that introducing hierarchy into the architecture of 3D structural metamaterials enables the attainment of a unique combination of properties: ultralightweight, recoverability, and a near-linear scaling of stiffness and strength with density.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1509120112
Entities
People
- Alex J. Zelhofer
- Arturo J. Mateos
- Dennis Kochmann
- Julia R. Greer
- Lucas R. Meza
- Nigel Clarke
Organizations
- California Institute of Technology
- University of Waterloo