Stiff and strong, lightweight bi-material sandwich plate-lattices with enhanced energy absorption

Plate-based lattices are predicted to reach theoretical Hashin–Shtrikman and Suquet upper bounds on stiffness strength. However, simultaneously attaining high energy absorption in these plate-lattices still remains elusive, which is critical for many structural applications such as shock wave absorber protective devices. In this work, we present bi-material isotropic cubic + octet sandwich composed of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (stiff) skins elastomeric (soft) core. This configuration enhances their capability while retaining stretching-dominated behavior. We investigate mechanical properties through an analytical model finite element simulations. Our results show that they achieve enhanced approximately 2–2.8 times higher than homogeneous counterparts marginally compromising When compared previously reported materials, materials superior strength-energy characteristics, making them excellent candidate stiff strong, lightweight absorbing applications.