Advancing Sustainable 3D Printing of Hierarchical Cellular Structures: Process Variables and Material Properties

Cellular materials are widely used in several technological fields due to their distinctive features derived from their porous internal morphology. Hierarchical porous structures, in particular, outperform their non-hierarchical counterparts in terms of mechanical behavior and accessible active surface. Nature has often optimized hierarchically structured foams to achieve high performance at minimal material cost, as seen in bamboo and beeswax honeycombs. These natural cellular materials exhibit complex hierarchical geometries that optimize specific properties such as stiffness-to-weight ratio, crash energy absorption, fire resistance, and thermal conductivity. Inspired by these natural structures, scientists have made significant strides in engineering applications, particularly through 3D printing. However, the mutual interactions among process variables, cellular morphologies, and the properties of 3D-printed structures are not yet fully understood, necessitating further research to optimize these materials and develop more sustainable manufacturing processes.

This research topic aims to enhance the understanding of the design, control, and manufacturing of cellular materials and 3D printing processes. The main objectives include answering specific questions about the interactions between process variables and cellular morphologies, testing hypotheses related to the optimization of material properties, and developing less expensive, time-efficient, and environmentally friendly manufacturing technologies. By addressing these aims, the research seeks to fully exploit the potential of 3D-printed cellular materials in various applications.

To gather further insights into the design, control, and manufacturing of cellular materials and 3D printing processes, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Soft matter and viscoelastic fluids

• (Bio-)polymers with high sustainability quantified by life cycle assessments

• Foams with micro- and nano-bubbles

• Smart and hierarchical materials and structures with tunable properties

• Additive manufacturing, especially 4D printing

• Applications of artificial intelligence/machine learning

Contributions based on experiments, modeling, or numerical simulations are encouraged. Manuscripts can be in the form of short articles (up to 3000 words), long articles, or reviews.

Keywords: Cellular materials, hierarchical porous structures, mechanical behavior, 3D printing, natural cellular materials, optimization of material properties, additive manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing, process variables, smart materials and structures.

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.