Session: 03-07-02: Emerging Materials Technology

Paper Number: 162229

162229 - Multiscale and Multiphysics Predictive Frameworks for Architected Lattices: Unlocking Tailored Energy Absorption and Autonomous Sensing 

Abstract

The design of architected lattices with tailored mechanical and multifunctional properties demands predictive models that integrate manufacturing and multiphysics variables for accurate, scalable performance predictions. In our recent work [1], the challenge of process-induced errors in additive manufacturing (AM)-enabled lattices is addressed using an integrated approach, which explores the effects of AM processes on the energy absorption and failure behavior of 2D thermoplastic lattices through multiscale experiments and predictive modeling. Macroscale in-plane compression tests on lattices with varying wall thickness reveal thickness-dependent failure mechanisms. μ-CT imaging identifies a transition from bead fracture to inter-bead damage as the number of beads across the cell wall increases. A robust predictive framework is developed to account for process-induced variations, employing the extended Drucker–Prager material model with Bridgman’s correction and crazing failure criteria to accurately simulate the crushing response of thin-walled lattices. For thick-walled lattices, a microscale cohesive zone approach captures inter-bead debonding. An empirical scaling factor model further quantifies the influence of fused filament fabrication on energy absorption capabilities.

Building on this foundation, our latest work [2] addresses the overlooked need for predictive models that incorporate multiphysics interactions. A novel framework combining theory, experiments, and finite element (FE) modeling is introduced to develop multiscale, multiphysics models for AM-enabled piezoresistive lattice composites, successfully simulating the mechanical and autonomous sensing behavior of polyetherimide (PEI) lattices reinforced with carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites. By coupling mechanical and multiphysics characterizations, electrical resistivity measurements during deformation capture architecture-dependent responses. The predictive framework integrates stress-dependent electrical resistivity and accounts for material, geometric, and contact nonlinearities, with validation via infrared thermography. A closed-form gauge factor expression predicts optimized self-sensing performance. Additionally, the parent PEI/CNT material demonstrates high strain sensitivity (gauge factor ~13), enabling lattice composites to achieve a wide range of gauge factors (GF*) from 3 to 11, depending on their architecture. This adaptable framework extends beyond PEI/CNT lattices to diverse architectures and materials. Furthermore, an Ashby chart analysis reveals a scaling law for gauge factor predictions, paving the way for transformative applications in smart orthopaedics, structural health monitoring, and other advanced fields.

References
[1] M. Utzeri, M. Sasso, V. S. Deshpande, S. Kumar, Adv Materials Technologies 2024, 2400457.
[2] M. Utzeri, H. Cebeci, S. Kumar, Adv Funct Materials 2024, 2411975.

Presenting Author: Shanmugam Kumar University of Glasgow

Presenting Author Biography: Professor Kumar is a Professor of Composite Materials and Advanced Manufacturing in the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He earned his Ph.D. in Solid Mechanics and Materials Engineering from the University of Oxford and has over 20 years of experience working across institutions including Masdar Institute (now part of Khalifa University), MIT, UC Santa Barbara, Rolls-Royce UTC at Southampton, and DRDO, spanning the UK, USA, and Asia.

His research focuses on the design of multifunctional materials through the integration of additive manufacturing, mechanics, and materials science, with applications in energy-efficient and sustainable technologies. At the University of Glasgow, he leads the Sustainable Multifunctional Materials and Additive Manufacturing Laboratory and co-leads the Materials and Manufacturing Research Group.

Professor Kumar has published over 130 journal articles and serves on the editorial boards of Advanced Engineering Materials, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, Scientific Reports, and Materials Today Communications. He has been recognized with the Vaibhav Fellowship from India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and is an elected Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM) and the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS).