Mechanical Performance of a Ring‐Arc Auxetic Honeycomb Structure with Double‐Plateau Stress Response

Negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) honeycomb structures have attracted considerable attention for their outstanding impact resistance and energy absorption capabilities, making them promising candidates for applications in aerospace, protective systems, and mechanical cushioning. However, traditional honeycomb configurations often exhibit inadequate load‐bearing capacity and limited energy absorption efficiency. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a novel ring‐arc honeycomb (RAH) structure characterized by a double‐plateau stress response. The mechanical behavior and energy absorption performance of the RAH are investigated through quasistatic compression experiments and validated using finite element simulations. Parametric studies are conducted to examine the influence of cell radius, cell angle, and wall thickness on structural performance. The results reveal that the RAH exhibits a distinct two‐stage stress plateau under compression. Compared with the conventional re‐entrant hexagonal honeycomb, the RAH structure shows a 140% increase in initial peak stress, a 282% enhancement in plateau stress, and a 191% improvement in specific energy absorption, demonstrating significantly improved load‐bearing and energy dissipation capacity. Furthermore, reducing the cell radius and angle, and especially increasing the wall thickness, effectively enhances mechanical performance and absorption efficiency. This work offers theoretical insights and design references for the application of NPR honeycomb structures in advanced energy‐absorbing systems.