Energy absorption strategy in biological and bioinspired tubular and lamellar structures

Abstract

Energy absorption capability is critical in biological and engineering materials, particularly when subjected to extreme compressive and impact loading. In the current work, we demonstrate how natural biological materials, like horns and hooves, control crack generation and propagation through lamellar and tubular structural designs. Inspired by these biological tissues, lamellar and tubular structures were fabricated via multi-material three-dimensional (3D) printing. The resulting bioinspired structures exhibit an impressive energy absorption density of ∼18.75 kJ kg⁻¹, comparable to the performance of metal foams and bioinspired honeycomb structures. Introducing soft-hard interfaces in lamellar and tubules notably enhances impact energy absorption by approximately 167% compared to solid structures printed with a single material. The bioinspired structures maintain structural integrity even under high-strain-rate impacts of around 2,000 s⁻¹, showcasing resistance to deformation and catastrophic failure. This bioinspired approach allows for a combined energy absorption capability in quasi-static compression and high-strain-rate impact scenarios.