CAREER: Mechanics of a New Family of Auxetic Chiral Composites

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This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project will investigate the mechanical behavior of a new family of auxetic chiral composites which have unique deformation mechanisms and can preserve auxetic effects under large deformations. Based on an analytical mechanical model, a new family of auxetic chiral composites will be invented and their deformation mechanisms will be explored by finite element simulations, micro-polar theory, and mechanical experiments on multi-material 3D-printed specimens. Simultaneously, due to significant local rotation, these new micro-architectured materials provide excellent examples on the application of micro-polar theory and will be used to advance this important theory in mechanics. The rapid development of additive manufacturing (3D printing) enables easy and precise control of the geometry and material composition of micro-architectured hybrid materials, providing unprecedented opportunities to push the boundary of mechanics. This proposed research reveals a paradigm for using 3D printing as a tool to advance existing theories in mechanics and verify new engineering concepts.The creation of new knowledge on the mechanics of this new family of auxetic chiral composites is expected to have potential broad applications in designing lightweight materials for mechanical protection and energy absorption, biomedical materials and devices to improve public health, and metamaterials and mechano-adaptive composites. The outreach and engagement activities are designed to be integrated with the educational activities and will be largely focused on the engagement and retention of underrepresented groups by threading seemingly traditional mechanical engineering concepts with innovation interdisciplinary concepts. This will be accomplished by (1) engaging participants across all different levels, from graduate and undergraduate students, elementary and middle school students and teachers to practicing engineers, (2) strengthening curriculum within and across the disciplines of mechanics, biomimetics, and additive manufacturing, (3) collaborating with local, small/middle scale, and high-added value industries to facilitate knowledge dissemination and technology transfer, and (4) developing K-12 outreach activities to support the newly released Next Generation Science Standards.