Design and additive manufacturing of 3D-architected ceramic metamaterials with programmable thermal expansion

Metamaterials with multiple anisotropic properties have strong potential in medicine, military, and civil engineering applications. However, previous studies have been limited to the design and fabrication of polymers, metals, and alloys, which can allow the retention of the structure at low temperatures. Metamaterials that operate at high temperatures or over large temperature ranges need to be developed. In this study, 3D-architected ceramic metamaterials with programmable thermal expansion, which can be used in high-temperature or large-temperature-range environments, were designed, fabricated, and characterized. First, three multi-ceramic quadrangular-pyramid-structured metamaterials with programmable thermal expansion behaviors were proposed and designed based on ZrO₂ and Al₂O₃ ceramics. The design mechanism and programmable range of thermal expansion were analyzed. Then, 3D-architected ceramic metamaterials with negative (−10 × 10⁻⁶/°C), zero (0 × 10⁻⁶/°C), and positive (+10 × 10⁻⁶/°C) thermal expansion were designed and fabricated through stereolithography additive manufacturing. The manufactured 3D-architected multi-ceramic metamaterials with programmable thermal expansion behaviors were analyzed using a digital image correlation (DIC) method. The results showed that the experimentally measured values were in good agreement with the theoretical values. The obtained findings pave the way for the application of 3D-architected multi-ceramic metamaterials.