New algorithm can help improve cellular materials design
Illustrations of four robust micro-structure topologies of extreme metamaterials emerged from the proposed framework.
Credit: Swansea University
New research published in Scientific Reports has revealed that a simple but robust algorithm can help engineers to improve the design of cellular materials that are used in a variety of diverse applications ranging from defence, bio-medical to smart structures and the aerospace sector.
The way in which cellular materials will perform can be uncertain and so calculations to help engineers predict how they will react for a particular design, for a given set of loads, conditions and constraints, can help maximise their design and subsequent performance.
The research collaborators at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Brown University, USA, found that running specialised calculations can help engineers to find the optimum micro-structure for cellular materials that are used for a wide range of purposes, from advanced aerospace applications to stents used for blocked arteries.
Research author Dr Tanmoy Chatterjee said:
“This paper is the result of one year of sustained collaborative research. The results illustrate that uncertainties in the micro-scale can drastically impact the mechanical performance of metamaterials. Our formulation achieved novel microstructure designs by employing computational algorithms which follow the evolutionary principles of nature.”
Co-author Professor Sondipon Adhikari explains:
“This approach allowed us to achieve extreme mechanical properties involving negative Poisson’s ratio (auxetic metamaterial) and elastic modulus. The ability to manipulate extreme mechanical properties through novel optimal micro-architecture designs will open up new possibilities for manufacturing and applications.”
Read the research in Scientific Reports.
Journal: Scientific Reports
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94520-x
Article Title: Robust topological designs for extreme metamaterial micro-structures
Article Publication Date: 26-Jul-2021
Media Contact
Delyth Purchase
d.purchase@swansea.ac.uk
All latest news from the category: Materials Sciences
Materials management deals with the research, development, manufacturing and processing of raw and industrial materials. Key aspects here are biological and medical issues, which play an increasingly important role in this field.
innovations-report offers in-depth articles related to the development and application of materials and the structure and properties of new materials.
Newest articles
The last missing piece of silicon photonics
International research team presents first electrically pumped continuous-wave semiconductor laser suitable for seamless silicon integration. Scientists from Forschungszentrum Jülich, FZJ, the University of Stuttgart, and the Leibniz Institute for High…
Space-time crystals, an important step toward new optical materials
KIT scientists design tailored materials for optical information processing. Photonic space-time crystals are materials that could increase the performance and efficiency of wireless communication or laser technologies. They feature a…
Quasiparticle loss in extreme quantum materials
A new study by Rice University physicist Qimiao Si unravels the enigmatic behaviors of quantum critical metals — materials that defy conventional physics at low temperatures. Published in Nature Physics…