Mechanical properties and deformation behavior of triply periodic minimal surface lattices under quasi-static compression and low-to-medium velocity impact loads

The lightweight characteristics and superior mechanical properties of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures have attracted widespread attention across various fields, including aerospace, automotive, and medicine. To assess the mechanical performance of TPMS structures, a comparative study was conducted on four typical TPMS structures, including Primitive and Gyroid, using selective laser melting (SLM) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) for fabrication. First, quasi-static compression tests were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of the TPMS structures. Subsequently, the energy absorption characteristics of the four TPMS structures were discussed and analyzed. Finally, a parametric study was conducted to explore the impact of different structural parameters, such as relative density, wall thickness, and parameter C, on the impact resistance of the TPMS structures. The results show that relative density, wall thickness, and parameter C positively influence the energy absorption capacity of the structures and that the energy absorption performance of TPMS structures under low- and moderate-velocity impacts does not differ significantly. This study provides a comprehensive experimental and numerical analysis of four major cell-type TPMS structures, and the findings are of significant importance for the future development and application of TPMS porous structures.