Finite element predictions of effective multifunctional properties of interpenetrating phase composites with novel triply periodic solid shell architectured reinforcements

• A new type of 3D interpenetrating phase composite (IPC) is introduced.
• Effective multifunctional propeties are predicted using FEM.
• D triply periodic minimal surfaces are used as solid shell reinforcements in IPC.
• The effect of the architecture of 3D solid shell architectures is investigated.
• Manufacturability of the proposed IPC through 3D printing is shown.

In this paper, new interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) based on the mathematically-known triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) are proposed. In these IPCs, different TPMS architectures are used as reinforcing solid shells to increase the effective multifunctional properties of IPCs. Several three-dimensional representative volume elements (RVEs) are generated and studied using the finite element method in order to predict the effective properties for various TPMS-based IPC architectures. The calculated properties are compared with some analytical bounds and conventional composites. The proposed IPCs have superiority against the conventional composites, and they possess effective properties close to the upper Hashin-Shtrikman bounds. Limited experimental validation of the computational prediction of effective conductivity is presented where the TPMS is made of conductive carbon nanostructured-based polymer composite.