A Novel Auxetic Structure with Enhanced Impact Performance by Means of Periodic Tessellation with Variable Poisson’s Ratio

Abstract

This study proposes a new approach to designing impact resistant elastomeric structures using innovative bi-dimensional patterns composed of a combination of circular and elliptical voids with variable aspect ratios. Key to the design are discrete sections each with different effective Poisson’s ratios ranging from negative to positive. Cubic samples 80 × 80 × 80 cm in size with different void geometry and effective Poisson’s ratios were fabricated and successively tested under compressive and low-velocity impact loads as a proof-of-concept, showing good agreement with finite element simulations.