Energy absorption and piezoresistive characteristics of 3D printed honeycomb composites with hybrid cell architecture

• Published in: Virtual and physical prototyping Vol. 19; no. 1
• Main Authors: Andrew, J Jefferson, Khan, Kamran A., Umer, Rehan, Schiffer, Andreas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 31.12.2024; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: additive manufacturing; auxetic structure; honeycomb; Piezoresistive sensing; self-sensing
• ISSN: 1745-2759; 1745-2767
• DOI: 10.1080/17452759.2024.2342430

This paper introduces a novel hybrid honeycomb (HC) design achieved by continuously blending non-auxetic hexagonal and auxetic re-entrant cell geometries along the out-of-plane direction. These novel hybrid HCs are additively manufactured via fused deposition modelling (FDM) using PA12 polymer reinforced with 15 wt.% of discontinuous carbon fibres. We study the mechanical and piezoresistive performance of hybrid HCs under quasi-static in-plane and out-of-plane loading performed at temperatures ranging between 25-125°C. The results demonstrate significant in-plane compression performance enhancements in the hybrid configuration, achieving up to 43% increase in the collapse strength and 119% in absorbed energy. The incorporation of multiple hybrid layers in the honeycomb structure further enhanced the in-plane properties, ultimately achieving a 181% enhancement in energy absorption. The hybrid honeycombs also showed a pronounced piezoresistive response with gauge factors in the range of 18-37 within the elastic regime, making them suitable for a wide range of multifunctional applications.