Energy absorption characteristics of additively manufactured sea sponge-inspired lattice structures under low-velocity impact loading

Our research hypothesizes that bio-inspired lattice structures, modeled after the marine sponge *Euplectella aspergillum*, exhibit superior energy absorption capabilities due to their unique hierarchical architecture. Using low-velocity impact tests conducted with a drop tower, we gathered data on the energy absorption characteristics of these lattices, additively manufactured via digital light processing (DLP). The results reveal that the sea sponge-inspired lattice structure, incorporating double diagonal bracings within a square-grid lattice, enhances stability and promotes a layer-by-layer collapse under impact, achieving an 11-fold increase in energy absorption compared to conventional square-grid lattices. Further, by adjusting the thickness ratio, we observed an additional 87% improvement in energy absorption. The sponge-inspired lattices also outperform traditional energy-absorbing materials like hexagonal honeycombs of equal weight, and the addition of 0.015 phr MWCNTs further amplifies the energy absorption properties, indicating potential for multifunctional lightweight structures.

The raw experimental data supporting this paper, titled "Energy absorption characteristics of additively manufactured sea sponge-inspired lattice structures under low-velocity impact loading," is accessible in the repository, with files labeled to correspond to figures in the manuscript and supplementary materials, which include comprehensive analyses of various parameters.

本研究假设，以海洋海绵 *Euplectella aspergillum* 为模型所构建的生物启发式晶格结构，由于其独特的分层架构，展现出卓越的能量吸收能力。通过在落锤实验塔中进行的低速冲击测试，我们收集了这些通过数字光处理（DLP）技术增材制造的晶格结构的能量吸收特性数据。结果表明，受海洋海绵启发的晶格结构，在正方形网格晶格内融入双对角支撑，提高了结构的稳定性，并在冲击下实现了层状逐层坍塌，与传统的正方形网格晶格相比，能量吸收能力提高了11倍。此外，通过调整厚度比，观察到能量吸收能力提升了87%。海绵启发的晶格结构在同等重量下也优于传统的能量吸收材料，如六边形蜂窝结构，并且加入0.015 phr的碳纳米管（MWCNTs）进一步增强了能量吸收性能，显示出多功能轻质结构的潜力。支持本论文的原始实验数据，标题为“在低速冲击载荷下增材制造海洋海绵启发的晶格结构的能量吸收特性”，可在存储库中获取，文件标签与手稿及补充材料中的图表相对应，其中包含对各种参数的综合分析。