Tailored Energy Absorption in Elasto-Plastic Mesostructured and Bulk Materials

While tailoring the geometry of mesostructured mechanical metamaterials has enabled unprecedented material properties, there has been minimal design of elasto-plastic properties for

their dynamic response. Herein, we first discuss tuning quasi-static elasto-plastic material behavior via: (1) mesostructured elasto-plastic unit cell design, and (2) tuning manufacturing parameters in bulk 3D printed specimens. Second, we use dynamic simulations to identify elastoplastic parameters that minimize peak kinetic energy transmitted to the opposite side of the

material after impact. By pairing these two inverse design steps, we demonstrate the ability to create optimal impact-absorbing elastoplastic materials. We provide new insights into how

tailoring quasi-static properties in nonlinear materials can manipulate material dynamic behavior and discuss implications for future wave-tailoring applications.