Programmable heterogeneous lamellar lattice architecture for dual mechanical protection

Shear bands frequently appear in lattice architectures subjected to compression, leading to an unstable stress–strain curve and global deformation. This deformation mechanism reduces their energy absorption and loading-bearing capacity and causes the architectures to prioritize mechanical protection of external components at the expense of the entire structure. Here, we leverage the design freedom offered by additive manufacturing and the geometrical relation of dual-phase nanolamellar crystals to fabricate heterogeneous lamellar lattice architectures consisting of body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) unit cells in alternating lamella. The lamellar lattice demonstrates more than 10 and 9 times higher specific energy absorption and energy absorption efficiency, respectively, compared to the BCC lattice. The drastic improvement arises as the nucleation of shear bands is inhibited by the discrete energy threshold for plastic buckling of adjacent heterogeneous lattice lamella during loading. Despite its lower density than the FCC lattice, the lamellar lattice exhibits significant enhancement in plateau stress and crushing force efficiency, attributed to the strengthening effect induced by simultaneous deformation of unit cells in the BCC lattice lamella and the resulting cushion shielding effect. The design improves the global mechanical properties, making lamellar lattices compare favorably against numerous materials proposed for mechanical protection. Additionally, it provides opportunities to program the local mechanical response, achieving programmable internal protection alongside overall external protection. This work provides a different route to design lattice architecture by combining internal and external dual mechanical protection, enabling a generation of multiple mechanical protectors in aerospace, automotive, and transportation fields.