Metamaterial force-chain behavior of re-entrant honeycomb with improved mechanical properties

In this paper, the metamaterial force-chain concept is proposed, for the first time to our knowledge, to describe the stress distribution and crushing property of honeycomb materials under quasi-static compression. A novel force-chain-enhanced re-entrant honeycomb (FCERH) behavior is put forward through experiments and simulations, which forms a rhombic force chain when compressed, which is different from traditional re-entrant honeycomb (REH). It compares in detail the effects of changing the force chain on the properties of honeycomb materials, including plateau stress, Poisson’s ratio, and the absorptions of energy. The results show that the FCERH has a better energy absorption capacity, and the energy absorption is increased by 91% when the strain is 0.65. Additionally, the influence of structural parameters on the enhanced force chain behavior is also discussed. The impact and blast responses of the materials are compared to verify their excellent dynamic performance. This design method has opened a new idea for the fabrication of high-performance honeycomb metamaterials.