Dynamic mechanical response of ceramic plate lattice and its interpenetrating phase composites: A comparative study based on polyurea and aluminum alloy soft phases

Inspired by the interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) found in natural biomaterials, this study utilizes vat photopolymerization technology to fabricate Al₂O₃ ceramic plate lattice structures (CPLSs) and constructs two bio-inspired IPCs by incorporating polyurea (a hyperelastic material) and aluminum alloy (a plastic material) as the soft phases, resulting in polyurea/Al₂O₃ plate lattice structures (P/CPLSs) and aluminum alloy/Al₂O₃ plate lattice structures (A/CPLSs). The mechanical responses of CPLSs, P/CPLSs, and A/CPLSs under dynamic impact loads were compared using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar experimental system. The results demonstrate that increasing the relative density effectively enhances the load-bearing capacity of CPLSs, although it does not prevent catastrophic failure. In contrast, both IPCs show significant improvements in load-bearing and energy absorption capacities. Specifically, due to the hyper elasticity provided by polyurea, P/CPLSs exhibit better structural integrity. On the other hand, A/CPLSs, benefiting from the superior plasticity and strain hardening characteristics of aluminum alloy, demonstrate unparalleled load-bearing and energy absorption abilities. This work makes a valuable contribution to the existing body of research on ceramic-based IPCs.