Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference
October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota
Numerical analysis of Mechanical Behaviors of Polymer Matrix Composite Reinforced by Additively Manufactured Ti6Al4V lattice
S M Kalbin Salim
Turjo
Master's Student
University of North Dakota
Co-authors: Prashant Kumar, PhD Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Dakota, Rim Christina, Undergraduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Dakota, Yachao Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Dakota
Session
Poster number: 73
Ballroom
Additive Manufacturing (AM) has opened new frontiers in designing and fabricating lattice structures that combine lightweight architecture with excellent load-bearing efficiency. While the mechanical response of metallic lattices is well documented, the integration of these architected structures into polymer matrix composites remains an emerging area of scientific inquiry. Such hybrid systems offer opportunities to tailor structural performance by exploiting both the inherent strength of additively manufactured metallic lattices and the energy-absorbing capability of polymers. In this study, the mechanical behaviors of epoxy-reinforced Ti6Al4V lattice composites are systematically investigated through finite element analysis. Five lattice topologies—Body-Centered Cubic (BCC), Face-Centered Cubic (FCC), BCCZ, FCCZ, and FBCCXYZ—are modeled to explore how topology governs stress distribution, deformation mode, and load transfer between the metal lattice and the polymer matrix. Epoxy infiltration of lattice pores enhances stiffness and strength, demonstrating the critical role of matrix–lattice interaction in resisting compressive loads. Results show that BCC lattices possess the better structural stability, with deformation dominated by bending, whereas FCC lattices display stretch-dominated responses. The study addresses mesh convergence for numerical accuracy and shows how discretization affects local strut behavior. It also emphasizes composite lattice performance processes, including load sharing between the matrix and lattice struts, the transition between bending- and stretch-dominated regimes, and topology's effect on failure paths, in addition to numerical results. This research guides the design of AM lattice composites for lightweight structures.