Influence of Nodal Spheres on the Mechanical Behaviour of Auxetic Materials Manufactured with PA12

Auxetic metamaterials, characterised by a negative Poisson’s ratio, offer excellent energy absorption but often present limited compressive strength due to their strut-based architectures. Selective laser sintering (SLS) enables the precise fabrication of these structures, yet enhancing their mechanical performance remains challenging. This research investigates the influence of nodal spheres on re-entrant dodecahedral unit cells produced in PA12, varying node-to-strut diameter ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1). Compression tests reveal significant increases in stiffness and compressive strength, reaching up to 88.70% for the 3:1 ratio. When normalised by relative density, the 2:1 configuration proves most effective, achieving a 35.33% increase in specific strength and a 19.58% improvement in specific energy absorption. The deformation behaviour indicates a mixed bending–stretching mechanism, with geometry exerting a stronger influence than the base material. Although larger nodal spheres enhance absolute strength, they also increase mass and relative density, which may limit their suitability for weight-sensitive applications. Overall, these findings highlight nodal reinforcement as a promising strategy to enhance the mechanical efficiency of auxetic metamaterials while maintaining their auxetic response. These improvements support applications in aerospace, automotive engineering, personal protection systems, lightweight structural panels, and energy-absorbing components.