Defense Mechanism of Bioinspired Composites with Sinusoidally Periodic Helicoidal Fiber Architectures

The fiber architectures of the stomatopod dactyl club lead to an effective toughening mechanism. Composites with sinusoidally periodic helicoidal (Herringbone-type) fiber architectures were fabricated using additive manufacturing and examined under dynamic loading. Under compression at different strain rates, stress distribution was found more uniform in the Herringbone-type structure than that in the Bouligand-type one because of fiber flattening. Under dynamic compression, Herringbone-type structures with amplitude gradients resisted large strains without significant damage, leading to greater energy absorption. Simulations indicated that the Herringbone-type structure mitigated the impact waves and facilitated uniform stress redistribution, whereas the Bouligand-type structure filtered the waves. These findings would shed light on the future designs of impact-resistant bioinspired materials.