Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Composite Microtrusses

Metallic foams and periodic cellular structures have been investigated widely for energy absorption, thermal management, vibration damping, and structural load support applications [1, 2]. Periodic microtruss geometries, which comprise angled solid members that connect at node points, have been of interest because careful control of their geometry and periodicity [3-5] enables high stiffness, strength, and energy absorption at relatively low density. These properties compare favorably to those of metallic foams due to more efficient placement of constituent material [6]. In addition, the fabrication of such microtrusses may have further use in hierarchical micro/nanostructures to achieve simultaneously high stiffness and damping [7].