Purpose The present study aims to investigate the mechanical properties and energy absorption capabilities of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS), namely gyroid, primitive, diamond and neovius structures, fabricated using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique under compressive testing. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the geometric parameters, namely length of unit cell and relative density, are considered to evaluate their influence on three responses, namely compressive strength, elastic modulus and specific energy absorption (SEA) under compressive loading and their deformation behavior is studied. A comparative analysis is carried out to evaluate the responses of TPMS structures. Findings From experimental results, it is found that geometric parameters have a significant influence on compressive strength, elastic modulus and SEA of TPMS structures. Row-wise deformation occurs in gyroid, primitive and neovius structures, while global deformation followed by row-wise deformation is observed in diamond structure. It indicates the effect of buckling, collapse and densification mechanisms at different deformation stages of TPMS structures. Research limitations/implications Findings of the present study are limited to the combined effect of both unit cell length (10 and 15 mm) and relative density (25%, 50% and 75%) within the selected levels on strength, elastic modulus and SEA of TPMS structures. Originality/value The findings are valuable for the selection of geometric parameters to achieve tailorable strength, elastic modulus and SEA of TPMS structures with potential applications in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical and construction engineering domains.
Sondagar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.