Lightweight, Strong and Stiff Lattice Structures Inspired by Solid Solution Strengthening.

Abstract

In engineering design, introducing lattice structures offers a cost-effective method for reducing weight while enhancing load-bearing efficiency, compared to merely enhancing the material strength of a solid component. Among the various lattice structure configurations developed thus far, the strength and stiffness of these structures remain significantly below their theoretical limits. This study demonstrates that the theoretical limits of strength and stiffness in lattice structures can be achieved by mimicking the solid solution strengthening mechanism in materials science. This innovative structure achieves the highest load-bearing efficiency to date and is applicable to lattice structures of any geometric configuration. The introduction of the sosoloid structure, a lattice structure with struts reinforced along the loading direction, increases the theoretical limits of lattice strength and stiffness by 20% and 27.5%, respectively, compared to traditional uniform lattice structures. The most effective enhancement is observed when sosoloid structures exhibit the highest material utilization rate and optimal spatial layout. These findings offer a general approach to achieving high load-bearing structures and have broad application prospects in lightweight and high-strength structures, such as human bone design and energy absorption.