In-Plane Stiffness and Yield Strength of Periodic Metal Honeycombs

In-plane mechanical properties of periodic honeycomb structures with seven different cell types are investigated in this paper. Emphasis is placed on honeycombs with relative density between 0.1 and 0.3, such that initial yield is associated with short column compression or bending, occurring prior to elastic buckling. Effective elastic stiffness and initial yield strength of these metal honeycombs under in-plane compression, shear, and diagonal compression (for cell structures that manifest in-plane anisotropy) are reported as functions of relative density. Comparison among different honeycomb structures demonstrates that the diamond cells, hexagonal periodic supercells composed of six equilateral triangles and the Kagome cells have superior in-plane mechanical properties among the set considered.