Components for marine applications are exposed to severe conditions, necessitating resistance to both mechanical stress and biological deterioration. This study presents an additively manufactured elastomer lattice that integrates antifungal protection and cushioning performance through a synergistic combination of material composition and structural design. The lattice consists of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/silicone rubber composites with a tailored 3D architecture. The resulting composites exhibit strong antifungal properties, with surface coverage remaining below 0.8%, due to enhanced hydrophobicity and hBN-induced oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species generation. Furthermore, the elastomer lattice demonstrates a wide zero-stiffness plateau resulting from elastic buckling of its micro-units, retains over 90% of its stress resistance after 10,000 compression cycles, and achieves a vibration isolation efficiency of up to 92.5%. This work provides a viable strategy for designing and manufacturing high-performance, multifunctional protective materials well-suited for demanding applications in harsh marine environments.
Wang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.