Purdue University civil engineering researchers have developed patent-pending “intelligent architected” materials that can dissipate energy caused by bending, compression, torque, and tensile stresses, avoiding permanent plastic deformation or damage. The materials might also exhibit shape memory properties that allow them to have actuation capacity, said the researchers. Aviation applications include aircraft runway mats for temporary or expeditionary flight operations using 3D printing materials.
Developed under a collaboration between Pablo Zavattieri, the Jerry M. and Lynda T. Engelhardt professor in civil engineering, and Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO), the 3D printed panels consist of a carbon-fiber-reinforced metal composite, allowing for high stiffness while remaining lightweight. The panel system serves as an alternative to conventional AM-2 panels and offers improved longevity and mechanical properties. Applications for the technology include rapid deployment of structures or runways for defense, public health, and natural disaster response.
Cellular or foam materials contain a porous microstructure of interconnected beams, columns, or truss-like structures, with both solid spaces and empty spaces that form a lattice or honeycomb arrangement. Examples found in nature include bone, cork, foam, honeycomb, sponge, and wood.
Zavattieri said most materials of that structure have a single stable configuration. “Changes in the cellular geometry as a result of an applied load typically will be limited either by the desire to prevent permanent deformation or the fact that it is impossible to return to the original stable configuration,” Zavattieri said. “There is an unmet need for a material structure that has a more stable configuration.”
Intelligent architected materials don’t apply strictly to aerospace, he added.
“These materials can change from one stable configuration to another, making them versatile and valuable for various applications including earthquake engineering, impact-resistant structures, biomedical devices, sporting goods, building structures, and automotive components,” Zavattieri explained.