Mechanical properties of bio-molecular inspired M_nL_2n cage-lattices: Simulations & experiments

Inspired by the self-assembly process of biological macromolecules, M_nL_2n cage-lattices with distinct structural characteristics were proposed. The five cage-lattices of M_nL_2n family (i.e. M₆L₁₂, M₁₂L₂₄, M₂₄L₄₈, M₃₀L₆₀, M₆₀L₁₂₀) had huge hollow volume and additive manufacturability. The elastic properties and large strain response of the M_nL_2n cage-lattices were both investigated numerically and experimentally. Numerical results revealed that the M₂₄L₄₈ cage-lattice had obvious advantage in tensile stiffness, but its shear resistance was insufficient. Through the compression experiment on the stainless steel 316 L samples manufactured by selective laser melting, it was found that the Young's modulus of M₃₀L₆₀ and M₆₀L₁₂₀ cage-lattices were the lowest, while the energy absorption capacities of M₃₀L₆₀ and M₆₀L₁₂₀ cage-lattices were close to the other cage-lattices owing to the high hardening rate at the macroscopic level. This paper presented a family of novel M_nL_2n cage-lattice materials with distinct structural characteristics and additive manufacturability, which broadened the design idea of lightweight multifunctional metamaterials.