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J. Compos. Sci.
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Lattice Structures
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Lattice Structures

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Composites Modelling and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 June 2026 | Viewed by 5060

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Christian Mittelstedt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fachgebiet Leichtbau und Strukturmechanik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 2, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: stability; buckling; postbuckling; plates; laminates; free-edge effects; stress concentrations; analysis methods; aerospace engineering; closed-form methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing technologies are being increasingly applied across a wide range of industries. Characterized by its high design freedom, this manufacturing process enables greater potential for lightweight construction—such as in the aerospace industry—and facilitates functional integration across all industries. Additive manufacturing is a key enabler for the fabrication and industrial application of open-celled and closed-celled cellular lattice structures (strut-based and surface-based); these structures bear significant potential for lightweight design, with improved stiffness–weight ratios and reduced build times. This Special Issue invites papers from all areas of research related to lattice structures. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, structural mechanics, design, simulation, modeling, manufacturing, optimization, experimental studies, and process control for lattice structures. Interdisciplinary contributions that address several of the aforementioned topics are especially welcome. In addition, we encourage the submission of case studies demonstrating applications of lattice structures. Particular emphasis is placed on papers that explore the application of lattice structures in composite science.

Prof. Dr. Christian Mittelstedt
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • additive manufacturing
  • metamaterials
  • composite structures
  • lattices

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 4709 KB  
Article
A Simulation-Based Study of Pattern Size Effects of 3D Periodic Cellular Structures
by Li Yang
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(3), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10030132 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 73
Abstract
In the design of cellular structures using unit cell-based modeling, idealized structures with infinite dimensions and negligible boundary conditions are often assumed in order to simplify the analysis. However, such treatments also result in significant errors for the performance predictions of actual cellular [...] Read more.
In the design of cellular structures using unit cell-based modeling, idealized structures with infinite dimensions and negligible boundary conditions are often assumed in order to simplify the analysis. However, such treatments also result in significant errors for the performance predictions of actual cellular components with finite dimensions. In this study, the pattern size effects resulting from finite-sized cellular designs were investigated systematically for various cellular designs. Two types of size effects, namely, lateral and along-stress size effects, were defined and investigated using simulation-based studies. It was found that different cellular designs exhibit significantly different size effects, which are also dependent on factors including Poisson’s ratio, structural symmetry, and the unit cell dimensional aspect ratio. The coupling effect between the two size effects was also discussed. This study provides a more systematic understanding of the size effects of cellular structures that can be used to guide future designs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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23 pages, 65931 KB  
Article
Numerical Investigation of the Fatigue Behavior of Lattice Structures Under Compression–Compression Loading
by Matthias Greiner, Andreas Kappel, Marc Röder and Christian Mittelstedt
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10010028 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1015
Abstract
Recent years have shown that additive manufacturing is able to significantly increase the potential for enhancing lightweight structural design. In particular, strut-based lattices have attracted considerable research interest due to their promising mechanical performance in lightweight engineering applications. While the quasi-static properties of [...] Read more.
Recent years have shown that additive manufacturing is able to significantly increase the potential for enhancing lightweight structural design. In particular, strut-based lattices have attracted considerable research interest due to their promising mechanical performance in lightweight engineering applications. While the quasi-static properties of such lattices are relatively well established, their fatigue behavior remains insufficiently understood. This work presents a numerical investigation of the fatigue life of laser powder bed-fused strut-based lattices using the finite element method (FEM). Periodic AlSi10Mg lattice structures with two different unit cells, bcc and f2ccz, and three different aspect ratios were analyzed under uniaxial compression–compression loading. The stress-life approach was used to model the fatigue failure of the representative unit cells in the high-cycle fatigue region. The numerical predictions were compared with experimental results, showing good agreement between simulations and physical tests. The findings highlighted that the fatigue response was primarily governed by aspect ratio, unit cell topology, bulk material properties, and mean stress imposed by the load ratio. Moreover, stress concentrations arising from notch effects in the nodal regions were identified as critical fatigue crack initiation sites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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22 pages, 56350 KB  
Article
Finite Element Simulation and Experimental Validation of Nickel Coating Thickness Distribution in Electroplated FCCZ Lattice Structures
by Marco Noack, Robert Maier and Eckhard Kirchner
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10010024 - 6 Jan 2026
Viewed by 406
Abstract
Metal electrodeposition on additively manufactured lattice structures enables the creation of functionally graded hybrid components with enhanced mechanical properties. However, predicting coating thickness distribution remains challenging due to complex current density fields in intricate geometries. This study develops and validates a finite element [...] Read more.
Metal electrodeposition on additively manufactured lattice structures enables the creation of functionally graded hybrid components with enhanced mechanical properties. However, predicting coating thickness distribution remains challenging due to complex current density fields in intricate geometries. This study develops and validates a finite element electrochemical simulation model for predicting coating thickness distribution in lattice structures using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.1. The model incorporates Butler–Volmer electrode kinetics, mass transport limitations, and the Laplace equation for current distribution. Experimental validation was performed using FCCZ lattice structures electrochemically coated with nickel for 24 h at 200 A/m2. CT scanning analysis revealed mean absolute errors of 5.25% between simulation and experiment after model calibration. The validated model successfully captures the exponential coating gradient from exposed edges to internal regions and provides a robust predictive tool for coating thickness distribution, which is essential for the effective design and optimization of electrochemically metallized lattice structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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21 pages, 7407 KB  
Article
A New Family of Minimal Surface-Based Lattice Structures for Material Budget Reduction
by Francesco Fransesini and Pier Paolo Valentini
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10010003 - 31 Dec 2025
Viewed by 624
Abstract
This article aims to describe a novel workflow designed for generating a new family of minimal surface-based lattice structures with improved performance in terms of material budget compared to the well-known cells like Gyroid and Schwartz. The implemented method is based on the [...] Read more.
This article aims to describe a novel workflow designed for generating a new family of minimal surface-based lattice structures with improved performance in terms of material budget compared to the well-known cells like Gyroid and Schwartz. The implemented method is based on the iterative resolution of a dynamic model, where proper forces are applied to generate minimal surface lattices, considering the boundary conditions and the constraint configurations. The novelty of the approach is given by the ability to create a minimal surface without resolving the partial differential equation and without knowing the exact minimal surface generative function. The starting geometry used for the lattice generation is the hypercube, parametrized to create different lattice configurations. Creating five different starting geometries and two constraint configurations, ten different lattice cells were created. For the comparison, a representative parameter of the material budget has been introduced and used to define the two best cells. The material budget is crucial for particle accelerator components, sensors, and detectors. These cells have been compared with Gyroid and Schwartz of the same thickness and bounding box, highlighting improvements of a factor of 2.3 and 1.7, respectively, in terms of material budget. The same cells have also been 3D-printed and tested under compression, and the obtained force–displacement curves were compared with those from a finite element analysis, demonstrating good agreement in the elastic region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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11 pages, 7847 KB  
Article
Inverse Cellular Lattices
by Vitor H. Carneiro and Hélder Puga
J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110605 - 5 Nov 2025
Viewed by 559
Abstract
The deformation mechanisms of classic lattice topologies (e.g., Cubic, Diamond, Octet, and Double Pyramid lattices) and their specific density-dependent mechanical properties have already been thoroughly explored by the scientific community. This study details a novel approach to designing lattices by generating the topologies [...] Read more.
The deformation mechanisms of classic lattice topologies (e.g., Cubic, Diamond, Octet, and Double Pyramid lattices) and their specific density-dependent mechanical properties have already been thoroughly explored by the scientific community. This study details a novel approach to designing lattices by generating the topologies that correspond to the voids of these classic lattice designs. This is achieved by using a Boolean operation performed to create a solid topology from the original voided fraction. The resultant topologies are proposed to be named Inverse lattices. Static structural numerical analysis shows that this process may generate significant changes in the lattice deformation mechanism and stiffness. For this effect, elastic properties such as the Specific modulus and Apparent Poisson’s ratio were determined as a function of Specific density. Specifically, for Octet and Double Pyramid inverse lattice topologies, results show a reduction in stiffness by promoting a change to a bending deformation mechanism. However, the inverse Diamond inverse lattice topologies present a higher stiffness (i.e., specific modulus) relative to the original classic design. This new lattice model may be a promising design for future lattice applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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32 pages, 2559 KB  
Article
Thermomechanical Stability of Hyperbolic Shells Incorporating Graphene Origami Auxetic Metamaterials on Elastic Foundation: Applications in Lightweight Structures
by Ehsan Arshid
J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110594 - 2 Nov 2025
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 859
Abstract
This study presents an analytical investigation of the thermomechanical stability of hyperbolic doubly curved shells reinforced with graphene origami auxetic metamaterials (GOAMs) and resting on a Pasternak elastic foundation. The proposed model integrates shell geometry, thermal–mechanical loading, and architected auxetic reinforcement to capture [...] Read more.
This study presents an analytical investigation of the thermomechanical stability of hyperbolic doubly curved shells reinforced with graphene origami auxetic metamaterials (GOAMs) and resting on a Pasternak elastic foundation. The proposed model integrates shell geometry, thermal–mechanical loading, and architected auxetic reinforcement to capture their coupled influence on buckling behavior. Stability equations are derived using the First-Order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT) and the principle of virtual work, while the effective thermoelastic properties of the GOAM phase are obtained through micromechanical homogenization as functions of folding angle, mass fraction, and spatial distribution. Closed-form eigenvalue solutions are achieved with Navier’s method for simply supported boundaries. The results reveal that GOAM reinforcement enhances the critical buckling load at low folding angles, whereas higher folding induces compliance that diminishes stability. The Pasternak shear layer significantly improves buckling resistance up to about 46% with pronounced effects in asymmetrically graded configurations. Compared with conventional composite shells, the proposed GOAM-reinforced shells exhibit tunable, folding-dependent stability responses. These findings highlight the potential of origami-inspired graphene metamaterials for designing lightweight, thermally stable thin-walled structures in aerospace morphing skins and multifunctional mechanical systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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Review

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30 pages, 2643 KB  
Review
Computational Design Strategies and Software for Lattice Structures and Functionally Graded Materials
by Delia Alexandra Prisecaru, Oliver Ulerich, Andrei Calin and Georgiana Ionela Paduraru
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10010032 - 8 Jan 2026
Viewed by 947
Abstract
This study presents a comparative analysis of software platforms and computational methods used in the design of three-dimensional lattice structures and functionally graded materials (FGMs). Through systematic evaluation of 31 computational platforms across seven critical criteria (lattice type support, parametric control, conformal generation, [...] Read more.
This study presents a comparative analysis of software platforms and computational methods used in the design of three-dimensional lattice structures and functionally graded materials (FGMs). Through systematic evaluation of 31 computational platforms across seven critical criteria (lattice type support, parametric control, conformal generation, multi-material capabilities, ease of use, FEA integration, and AM compatibility), this review identifies that specialized platforms significantly outperform general-purpose CAD tools, with scores exceeding 30/35 points compared to 15–20/35 for conventional systems. The analysis reveals that implicit and voxel-based representations dominate high-performance applications, while traditional boundary-representation methods approach fundamental limitations for complex lattice generation. Emerging machine learning-driven frameworks demonstrate 82% reduction in optimization iterations through Bayesian optimization and achieve property prediction speedups of nearly 100× compared to computational homogenization, enabling rapid inverse design workflows previously computationally infeasible. These insights provide researchers with evidence-based guidance for selecting computational approaches aligned with specific manufacturing capabilities and design objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lattice Structures)
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