Abstract
Durable interfacing of hard and soft materials is a major design challenge caused by the ensuing stress concentrations. In nature, soft-hard interfaces exhibit remarkable mechanical performance, with failures rarely happening at the interface. Here, we mimic the strategies observed in nature to design efficient soft-hard interfaces. We base our geometrical designs on triply periodic minimal surfaces (i.e., Octo, Diamond, and Gyroid), collagen-like triple helices, and randomly distributed particles. A combination of computational simulations and experimental techniques, including uniaxial tensile and quad-lap shear tests, are used to characterize the mechanical performance of the interfaces. Our analyses suggest that smooth interdigitated connections, compliant gradient transitions, and either decreasing or constraining strain concentrations lead to simultaneously strong and tough interfaces. We generate additional interfaces where the abovementioned toughening mechanisms work synergistically to create soft-hard interfaces with strengths approaching the upper achievable limit and enhancing toughness values by 50%, as compared to the control group.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 7919 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Funding
This project is part of the Idea Generator (NWA-IDG) research program with code numbers NWA.1228.192.206 and NWA.1228.192.228 obtained by M.C.S. and M.J.M., respectively. This project is also part of the NWO grant OCENW.XS22.2.044 obtained by M.J.M. This research was supported by the scholarship program for foreign studies number 498307 granted by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) obtained by M.C.S. This research was conducted on a Stratasys® Objet350 Connex3™ printer through the Voxel Print Research Program. This program is an exclusive partnership with Stratasys Education that enhances the value of 3D printing as a powerful platform for experimentation, discovery, and innovation; for more information, contact: [email protected].Funding Information:
This project is part of the Idea Generator (NWA-IDG) research program with code numbers NWA.1228.192.206 and NWA.1228.192.228 obtained by M.C.S. and M.J.M., respectively. This project is also part of the NWO grant OCENW.XS22.2.044 obtained by M.J.M. This research was supported by the scholarship program for foreign studies number 498307 granted by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) obtained by M.C.S. This research was conducted on a Stratasys® Objet350 Connex3™ printer through the Voxel Print Research Program. This program is an exclusive partnership with Stratasys Education that enhances the value of 3D printing as a powerful platform for experimentation, discovery, and innovation; for more information, contact: [email protected].