Auxetic metamaterials subjected to dynamic loadings

Materials with negative Poisson's ratio are called auxetics and they present enhanced properties (e.g. damping, indentation resistance, fracture toughness and impact resistance) under external loadings. The auxetic properties are derived from peculiar-shaped microstructures, such as star-shaped frames. In the present investigation, several applications are studied using auxetic microstructures. Finite element models are developed for dynamic analysis. First, an application related to auxetic microstructures, for the core of structural panels, is presented. Next, the use of auxetic materials in armor plates in dynamic bullet penetration problems is considered. Finally, a numerical simulation for wind turbines blades, with aluminum foam, polymeric foam and the proposed auxetic material is carried out. The numerical results demonstrate that the use of auxetic microstructures results in improved dynamic response of the system in comparison to conventional materials.