A data-driven framework for structure-property correlation in ordered and disordered cellular metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper introduces a data-driven framework that systematically links microstructural features of cellular metamaterials to their mechanical properties, enabling better design and understanding of complex lightweight materials.

Contribution

It develops an integrated approach combining virtual microstructure generation, quantification, and interpretable models to analyze structure-property relationships in cellular metamaterials.

Findings

Microstructural features like nodal connectivity and strut orientation significantly influence stiffness.

The framework reveals microstructures that challenge classical Maxwell's criteria.

Effective stiffness varies with microstructural disorder and topology.

Abstract

Cellular solids and micro-lattices are a class of lightweight architected materials that have been established for their unique mechanical, thermal, and acoustic properties. It has been shown that by tuning material architecture, a combination of topology and solid(s) distribution, one can design new material systems, also known as metamaterials, with superior performance compared to conventional monolithic solids. Despite the continuously growing complexity of synthesized microstructures, mainly enabled by developments in additive manufacturing, correlating their morphological characteristics to the resulting material properties has not advanced equally. This work aims to develop a systematic data-driven framework that is capable of identifying all key microstructural characteristics and evaluating their effect on a target material property. The framework relies on integrating virtual structure generation and quantification algorithms with interpretable surrogate models. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by analyzing the effective stiffness of a broad class of two-dimensional (2D) cellular metamaterials with varying topological disorder. The results reveal the complex manner in which well-known stiffness contributors, including nodal connectivity, cooperate with often-overlooked microstructural features such as strut orientation, to determine macroscopic material behavior. We further re-examine Maxwell's criteria regarding the rigidity of frame structures, as they pertain to the effective stiffness of cellular solids and showcase microstructures that violate them. This framework can be used for structure-property correlation in different classes of metamaterials as well as the discovery of novel architectures with tailored combinations of material properties.