Insights into the mechanical properties of several triply periodic minimal surface lattice structures made by polymer additive manufacturing

• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.11.049
• Publication Date: 2017-12-15T05:28:07Z
• Authors: I. Maskery; L. Sturm; A.O. Aremu; A. Panesar; C.B. Williams; C.J. Tuck; R.D. Wildman; I.A. Ashcroft; R.J.M. Hague
• Keywords: Gyroid; Lattice (music); Diamond cubic; Minimal surface

Three-dimensional lattices have applications across a range of fields including structural lightweighting, impact absorption and biomedicine. In this work, based on triply periodic minimal surfaces were produced by polymer additive manufacturing examined with combination experimental computational methods. This investigation elucidates their deformation mechanisms provides numerical parameters crucial in establishing relationships between geometries mechanical performance. Three types lattice examined, one, known as the primitive lattice, being found to relative elastic modulus over twice large those other two. The process was also considerably different from two, exhibiting strut stretching buckling, while gyroid diamond deformed bending dominated manner. Finite element predictions stress distributions under compressive loading agreed observations. These results can be used create better informed designs for biomedical applications.