Advances in Bio-Inspired Design and Characterization of 3D-Printed Multimaterial Composites and Heterogeneous Structures

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 349

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
Interests: fracture mechanics, with a focus on interfacial fractures, deformation, and failure mechanisms in advanced composite materials and additively manufactured materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue invites researchers and engineers to explore cutting-edge developments in bio-inspired design and the characterization of 3D-printed multimaterial composites and heterogeneous structures. Bio-inspired approaches offer a wealth of innovative solutions, as nature’s materials exhibit unique and often complex combinations of strength, toughness, and flexibility. By leveraging 3D printing technologies, researchers can replicate and enhance these biological designs, enabling the creation of advanced composites for applications in medicine, robotics, aerospace, and beyond.

Our topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  • Novel bio-inspired architectures and material combinations for improved mechanical and fracture properties;
  • Design strategies and the modeling of heterogeneous structures and interfaces;
  • Advances in 3D printing techniques for multimaterial composites;
  • The characterization and testing of the physical, mechanical, and fracture properties of materials (e.g., strength, crack resistance, energy dissipation, etc.);
  • Applications of bio-inspired composites in soft robotics, biomedical devices, and structural materials.

This Special Issue aims to bring together leading research that bridges biology, materials science, and engineering to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and set the stage for future advances in biomimetic materials. We encourage submissions that present novel approaches to design, rigorous experimental studies, and insights into the practical applications of bio-inspired 3D-printed composites.

Dr. Denizhan Yavas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • bio-inspired design
  • biomimetics
  • 3D printing
  • multimaterial composites
  • heterogeneous structures
  • mechanical characterization
  • functional materials
  • hybrid materials
  • interface engineering
  • additive manufacturing

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 4123 KiB  
Article
Research on the Impact Toughness of 3D-Printed CoCrMo Alloy Components Based on Fractal Theory
by Guoqing Zhang, Junxin Li, Han Wang, Congcong Shangguan, Juanjuan Xie and Yongsheng Zhou
Biomimetics 2025, 10(5), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10050292 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 195
Abstract
In order to obtain high-performance 3D printed parts, this study focuses on the key performance indicator of impact toughness. The parametric modeling software Rhino 6 is used to design impact specimens, and the laser selective melting equipment DiMetal-100, independently developed by the South [...] Read more.
In order to obtain high-performance 3D printed parts, this study focuses on the key performance indicator of impact toughness. The parametric modeling software Rhino 6 is used to design impact specimens, and the laser selective melting equipment DiMetal-100, independently developed by the South China University of Technology, is used to manufacture impact specimens. Subsequently, the CoCrMo alloy parts were annealed using an MXQ1600-40 box-type atmosphere furnace and subjected to impact testing using a cantilever beam impact testing machine XJV-22. Fractal theory was applied to analyze the fractal behavior of the resulting impact fracture surfaces. The research results indicate that the 3D-printed impact specimens exhibited excellent surface quality, characterized by brightness, low roughness, and the absence of significant defects such as warping or deformation. In terms of annealing treatment, lower annealing temperatures did not improve the impact performance of SLM-formed CoCrMo alloy parts but instead led to a decrease in toughness. While increasing the annealing temperature can improve toughness to some extent, the effect is limited. Furthermore, the relationship between impact energy and heat treatment temperature exhibits a U-shaped trend. The fractal dimension analysis shows that the parts annealed in a 1200 °C furnace have the highest fractal dimension and better toughness performance. This study introduces a novel approach by comprehensively integrating advanced 3D printing technology, annealing processes, and fractal theory analysis to systematically investigate the influence of annealing temperature on the impact properties of 3D-printed CoCrMo alloy parts, thereby establishing a solid foundation for the application of high-performance 3D printed parts. Full article
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