Energy absorption mechanisms of hierarchical woven lattice composites

Hierarchical cellular materials are predicted to have superior energy absorption capability. To enhance the energy absorption of the woven lattice sandwich panels, hierarchical square lattice panels were designed and manufactured. With sandwich walls, the hierarchical square lattice panels are light but render ideal complete stress–strain curves with high compression strengths, stable displacement plateau at a relative high stress level and large densification strain in experiments. A plastic model has been suggested to predict the limits of the deformation plateau after the peak stress. It is shown that hierarchical lattice structures obviously enhance the energy absorption capability of the light-weight woven textile material.