Numerical Modeling and Experimental Investigation of Effective Elastic Properties of the 3D Printed Gyroid Infill

A numerical homogenization approach is presented for the effective elastic moduli of 3D printed cellular infills. A representative volume element of the infill geometry is discretized using either shell or solid elements and analyzed using the finite element method. The elastic moduli of the bulk cellular material are obtained through longitudinal and shear deformations of a representative volume element under periodic boundary conditions. The method is used to analyze the elastic behavior of gyroid infills for varying infill densities. The approach is validated by comparing the Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio with those obtained from compression experiments. Results indicate that although the gyroid infill exhibits cubic symmetry, it is nearly isotropic with a low anisotropy index. The numerical predictions are used to develop semi-empirical equations of the effective elastic moduli of gyroid infills as a function of infill density in order to inform design and topology optimization workflows.