GRK 2868:  D³ - Data-driven design of resilient metamaterials

• Subject Area: Materials Science ; Mechanics and Constructive Mechanical Engineering
• Term: since 2023
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 493401063

Metamaterials are artificial, architected materials, which offer unique properties superior to the corresponding bulk material. This novel class of materials is defined by an internal structure which enables tailored properties to create new opportunities in, e.g., the mobility, health and energy sectors. In these applications, damage-tolerance, i.e. resilience, of the structures is of great relevance. However, in common lattice-based mechanical metamaterials, the connection points of individual beams are critical stress concentrators. To overcome this issue, bio-inspired spinodoid structures with smooth geometries represent a promising new class of architected materials. In order to fully exploit the design potential and particularly to create sustainable and extremely resilient mechanical metamaterials, the proposed Research Training Group D3 aims at understanding the failure behavior and at designing the structure as well as the local material properties including additional functionalization steps. To handle the resulting enormous parameter space, a novel data-driven and multi-scale design approach based on simulations and experiments is developed and advanced additive manufacturing technologies are applied. In particular, goal-oriented, inverse design procedures based on forward and backward process-structure-property linkages including restrictions regarding the manufacturability will be utilized. The exploration aims at the mechanical performance as well as sustainability of the new materials. The latter is to be achieved by replacing rare alloy elements using advanced processes. Compared to the state of the art, research within D3 will focus on tailored aluminium alloys, novel spinodoid metamaterials with bioinspired architectures and advanced binder jetting additive manufacturing technologies. In addition to the typically focused structure, i.e., the mesoscopic topology and geometry, the influence of base material and functionalization on effective macroscopic properties relevant for component analysis are investigated. The scientific challenges that arise from the aspired data-driven approaches for cross-scale discovery and design of resilient mechanical metamaterials are tackled by an interdisciplinary team that involves professionals in computational mechanics, materials science, data and computer science, mathematics, and physics. D3 will provide a creative, motivating and collaborative research environment with equal opportunities to develop careers of young scientists in this interdisciplinary field of research and to train future experts in digitization.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
• Participating Institution: Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (IFW) e.V.; Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg; Technische Universität Chemnitz
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Markus Kästner
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Gianaurelio Cuniberti; Professorin Dr. Sibylle Gemming; Professor Dr.-Ing. Maik Gude; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Julia Kristin Hufenbach; Professor Dr.-Ing. Michael Kaliske; Professor Dr.-Ing. Christoph Leyens; Professor Dr. Marco Salvalaglio; Professor Dr. Ivo Sbalzarini; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Martina Zimmermann