Fabrication and anti-crushing performance of hollow honeytubes

Honeytubes were architectured materials formed by the hybrid of honeycomb and lattice microstructures, which exhibited great energy absorption capability. In this work, thin-walled hollow honeytubes (HHTs) were further designed, and fabricated using different 3D printing methodologies and electro-chemical deposition technique. The compression results indicated that HHTs could possess smaller relative density and their specific strength be 2.4 and 1.5 times greater than that of solid-walled honeytubes and honeycombs, respectively. Geometrical effects on compressive performance of HHTs were examined, and tube configurations that determined the interactions with ribs were proved to be vital for the specific performance. Meanwhile, foam filled honeytubes could exhibit additional enhancement after properly designed. The specific energy absorption of HHTs especially steel HHTs was proved to have superiority among cellular materials. Hollow honeytubes (HHTs) in the present study had indicated the guidelines to tailor mechanical properties by microstructure design, which would also provide opportunities for artificial intelligence to speed up the development of novel materials.