Pruning the Mechanical Impedance of Three-Dimensional Disordered Networks

Published

February 21, 2022

Author(s)

Marcos Reyes-Martinez, Edwin Chan, Christopher Soles, Michael Riley, Endao Han, Nidhi Pashine, Kieran Murphy, Heinrich Jaeger, Sidney Nagel, Daniel Reid, Meng Shen, Juan J. de Pablo

Abstract

Disordered networks, comprised of random arrangements of bonds and nodes, have emerged as materials with the unique ability for independent control over the shear and bulk moduli. Recent computational studies have demonstrated that an extremely high degree of mechanical tunability can be achieved in disordered networks via a selective bond removal process called pruning. In this study, we explore how pruning of a disordered network affects its macroscopic high rate mechanical response and its capacity to mitigate impact. Linear impact studies with velocities ranging from 0.1 m/s to 1.5 m/s were performed on 3D printed pruned and unpruned networks comprised of materials spanning a range of stiffness. High-speed videography was used to quantify the changes in elastic constants and energy absorbed as a function of network structure and the intrinsic material properties of network. Our results demonstrate that pruning significantly enhances the high rate mechanical response of disordered network metamaterials and provides a rational route for designing materials with tailored impact mitigating properties.

Citation

Advanced Materials

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

3D printing, additive manufacturing, disordered networks, impact mitigation

Citation

Reyes-Martinez, M. , Chan, E. , Soles, C. , Riley, M. , Han, E. , Pashine, N. , Murphy, K. , Jaeger, H. , Nagel, S. , Reid, D. , Shen, M. and de Pablo, J. (2022), Pruning the Mechanical Impedance of Three-Dimensional Disordered Networks, Advanced Materials, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=928862 (Accessed October 15, 2025)