Static and dynamic damping mechanical performance of architected metal-epoxy interpenetrating phase composites

The present contribution investigates the static and dynamic damping mechanical response of architected aluminum-epoxy interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs), engineered with strut, triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS), and stochastic spinodal AlSi10Mg reinforcement phases. Both single-phase metamaterials and co-continuous, multi-phase composites are analyzed, assessing the role of the reinforcement phase design and the addition of silicon carbide (SiC) nano-whisker epoxy enhancements in the effective mechanical performance. Aluminum-epoxy IPCs yield a constitutive response with peak, plateau stress, and overall energy absorptions up to 25 times higher than the ones recorded for the underlying single-phase metamaterials. Inner plastic strains, probed through dedicated finite element analysis, provide insights into the inner damage evolution, leading to characteristic ductile failure patterns, as revealed by computer tomography analysis. The exceptional specific energy absorption attributes are complemented by outstanding dynamic performance characteristics, with significant loss moduli over a broad range of frequencies and damping ratios up to 0.29.