3D woven lattice material is composed of Z- (green), warp (red) and fill (blue) wires. Source: Salari-Sharif et al.

A new material that is as stiff as metal but flexible enough to withstand strong vibrations could be used in the manufacture of aircraft, trains and automobiles that afford almost vibration-free travel.

Materials engineers used 3D woven technical composite sheets with selected un-bonded fibers to design the fabric. The inside of the material is structured to move and absorb vibrations while the surrounding material remains rigid.

The selectively bonded 3D woven lattice architecture was fabricated, tested and shown to exhibit noticeable combinations of damping and stiffness. Un-bonded lattice members were free to move within manufacturing gaps of 20~30% of their diameter. Computational results revealed a novel damping mechanism that relied on collisions between the free and brazed lattice members.

The simultaneous achievement of both stiffness and damping has the potential to significantly improve the comfort of future vehicles. The materials also exhibit tailored fluidic permeability, thermal transport and are able to maintain their properties at high service temperatures, which may suggest multi-functional capabilities for future studies.

Scientists from the University of Surrey (U.K.), the University of California Irvine and Johns Hopkins University contributed to this research, which is published in Scientific Reports.