Design and mechanical properties analysis of hexagonal perforated honeycomb metamaterial

Hexagonal perforated honeycomb (HPH) metamaterials were designed, fabricated and investigated in this work. Initially, the mechanical properties and deformation modes of various proposed HPH metamaterials (HPH-U, HPH-1L and HPH-3L) under quasi-static vertical compression were analyzed using experimental and finite element methods. The findings reveal significant improvements in mechanical properties and energy absorption due to the honeycomb and hierarchical expandable design. Notably, the auxetic effect is diminished. Subsequently, the impact of key dimensional parameters on the mechanical properties and Poisson's ratio behavior was explored. The results highlighted that an increase of elliptical perforation major axis to minor axis ratio enhanced the auxetic effect but compromised load-bearing and absorptive capacity. Additionally, HPH metamaterials displayed exceptional performance under quasi-static horizontal compression, with their honeycomb structure enabling them to withstand both vertical and horizontal impacts while exhibiting excellent energy absorption capabilities. The study also identified relative density as a crucial factor influencing horizontal impact performance. Finally, the study subjected the HPH metamaterials to multiple quasi-static vertical repetitive compressions, meticulously analyzing variations in mechanical properties under diverse compression ratios. Due to distinctive structural design and impressive mechanical properties, HPH metamaterials demonstrate immense potential for applications in automotive engineering and sports protection fields.