Impact resistance of biomimetic gradient sinusoidal composites by 3D printing: Tunable structural stiffness and damage tolerance

Taking inspiration from the remarkable impact resistance of the dactyl club of Odontodactylus scyllarus and utilizing the material extrusion-based 3D printing process for continuous fiber reinforced composites (CFRCs), the biomimetic gradient sinusoidal CFRCs (BGS-CFRCs) was designed and manufactured. This material combines the bidirectional sinusoidal structure with a gradient layering configuration, mimicking the natural design found in the dactyl club. Experimental tests revealed that BGS-CFRCs achieved a Charpy impact strength of up to 63.24 kJ/m², surpassing flat-layered polylactic acid (PLA) and continuous carbon fiber reinforced PLA (CCF/PLA) specimens by 143 % and 80 %, respectively. Moreover, BGS-CFRCs exhibited tunable structural stiffness and damage tolerance. This can be attributed to the innovative in-plane fiber architecture and out-of-plane material gradient, revealing the synergistic effects of composite materials, bidirectional sinusoidal structure, and gradient layering configuration. Overall, this study combines multi-degree-of-freedom 3D printing of CFRCs with biomimetic structural design, providing new dimensions of design space. This breakthrough surpasses the limitations of traditional additive manufacturing techniques and structural design of composites, opening new possibilities for developing next-generation high-performance structural materials.