To investigate the effect of cell orientations on the compressive properties of Kelvin foams and compare them with Weaire–Phelan (W‐P) foams, a semi‐closed‐cell Kelvin foam with a relative density ( ρ r ) of 20% is 3D printed, followed by a quasi‐static compression experiment to validate the ABAQUS model. Subsequently, ABAQUS is performed to analyze the compression behaviors of Kelvin foams with different cell orientations and ρ r , and W‐P foams with various ρ r . The results indicate that compressive strength ( σ pk ) of Kelvin/W‐P foams is primarily governed by the number of vertical faces in unit cells, as these faces bear the primary load during service. Energy absorption ( EA ) is influenced not only by vertical faces but also by the cells′ deformation modes and stacking configuration. At low ρ r , the W‐P foams exhibit the highest EA due to the complex spatial distribution of cell faces and densely packed stacking of unit cells. With increasing ρ r , Kelvin foams with various cell orientations gradually exhibit more EA than those of W‐P foams, attributed to transitions in cell deformation mechanisms and stacking patterns. This article not only advances the modeling and fabrication of Kelvin/W‐P lattice structures but also provides mechanical insights into the evolutionary advantages of foam self‐organization.
Gao et al. (Mon,) studied this question.