Multifunctional Liquid Metal Lattice Materials with Recoverable and Reconfigurable Behaviors

Abstract

Multifunctional lattice materials are of great interest to modern engineering including aerospace, robotics, wave control, and sensing. In this work, we proposed and developed a new class of functional lattice materials called liquid metal lattice materials, which are composed of liquid metals and elastomer coatings organized in a co-axial way. This hybrid design enables the liquid metal lattice materials with a thermal-activated shape memory effect and hence a variety of intriguing functionalities including recoverable energy absorption, tunable shape and rigidity, deployable and reconfigurable behaviors. The fabrication of liquid metal lattice materials is realised by a hybrid manufacturing approach combining 3D printing, vacuum casting, and coating. The mechanical properties and functionalities of these liquid metal lattice materials are studied via experimental testing. We expect that this new class of lattice materials will greatly expand the current realm of lattice materials and lead to novel multifunctional applications.