Investigation on low-velocity impact response and energy absorptionof enhanced X-shaped lattice mechanical metamaterials

Lattice mechanical metamaterials have been widely used in various fields due to the lightweight, flexible designability and excellent impact resistance. In this paper, an enhanced X-shaped lattice mechanical metamaterial was designed and fabricated by selective laser melting. The dynamic crushing behavior and energy absorption mechanism of this metamaterials subjected to low-velocity impact were explored experimentally and numerically. The influence of impact velocity on the deformation mode and energy absorption capability of the enhanced X-shaped lattice mechanical metamaterials was analyzed. It is shown that the impact velocity has significant effects on the deformation modes of the mechanical metamaterials. At the lower impact velocities, the deformation mode of lattice mechanical metamaterials resembles that observed under quasi-static compression, characterized by the layer-by-layer crushing mode of the cells around the shear band. At the higher impact velocities, the deformation mode of lattice mechanical metamaterials transitions from X-shaped shear band to V-shaped shear band, and finally evolves into an arc-shaped shear band. The further study suggests that enhanced X-shaped lattice mechanical metamaterial exhibits a certain degree of velocity sensitivity. With the increase of the impact velocity, the initial peak stress, plateau stress, and specific energy absorption all increase correspondingly.