The properties of foams and lattices

• Published in: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences Vol. 364; no. 1838; pp. 15 - 30
• Main Author: Ashby, M.F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London The Royal Society 15.01.2006
• Subjects: Bending; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Buckles; Buckling; Cell walls; Construction materials; Crystal lattices; Elasticity; Foams; Gases - chemistry; Lattice Structures; Mechanical Properties; Modelling; Models, Chemical; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanostructures - ultrastructure; Polymers - chemistry; Porosity; Solids; Stiffness; Stress, Mechanical; Topology
• ISSN: 1364-503X; 1471-2962
• DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2005.1678

Man and nature both exploit the remarkable properties of cellular solids, by which we mean foams, meshes and microlattices. To the non-scientist, their image is that of soft, compliant, things: cushions, packaging and padding. To the food scientist they are familiar as bread, cake and desserts of the best kind: meringue, mousse and sponge. To those who study nature they are the structural materials of their subject: wood, coral, cancellous bone. And to the engineer they are of vast importance in building lightweight structures, for energy management, for thermal insulation, filtration and much more. When a solid is converted into a material with a foam-like structure, the single-valued properties of the solid are extended. By properties we mean stiffness, strength, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, electrical resistivity and so forth. And the extension is vast-the properties can be changed by a factor of 1000 or more. Perhaps the most important concept in analysing the mechanical behaviour is that of the distinction between a stretch- and a bending-dominated structure. The first is exceptionally stiff and strong for a given mass; the second is compliant and, although not strong, it absorbs energy well when compressed. This paper summarizes a little of the way in which the mechanical properties of cellular solids are analysed and illustrates the range of properties offered by alternative configurations.