Bio-inspired Soft-Hard Material Integration for High Damage-tolerant Munitions (BioHDM)

Natural biological materials possessing hierarchical structures often exhibit extraordinary material properties, which have become important inspirations for high-performance material design. In this study, Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) along with University of Virginia (UVA) propose to develop a bioinspired adaptive material with high damage tolerance for the next generation smart lightweight munitions (BioHDM). The physics-based model is motivated by the ubiquitous hierarchical biological structures integrated with soft and hard material phases, such as mollusk shells. Material properties can be tuned by rotating arbitrary shaped hard phase particles in the soft phase matrix upon external stimuli. In phase I, we devote to develop a comprehensive knowledge of various material designs assembled with different combinations of soft and hard materials, and investigate their mechanical properties through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Optimization analysis will be performed with emphasis on obtaining negative Poisson’s ratio to improve material impact toughness. We will also demonstrate enhanced material performances by manufacturing prototype structures and performing validation tests. It is envisioned that this technology when fully developed will also benefit other commercial and military sectors, including biomedical, automobile, and aerospace industries.