Composite rubber arches with tunable energy dissipation

Abstract

We propose a semi-circular composite rubber arch comprising two rubber materials with differing shear moduli as a novel unit cell structure for self-recovering, energy-dissipating metamaterials by adjusting the stiffness ratio and the boundary position between the materials that the arch achieves tunable stiffness distributions. Through a systematic finite element analysis, we identified four deformation modes: snapping, bending, and two distinct flattening modes. The snapping mode, characterized by load-displacement hysteresis, exhibited significant energy dissipation, while the flattening modes demonstrated stable, continuous deformation suitable for irreversible energy absorption. The programmable nature of energy dissipation was achieved over three orders of magnitude by modifying the stiffness distribution. Our results provide a foundation for designing composite arches with tailored mechanical properties. Arranging these unit cells in periodic configurations could serve as advanced mechanical metamaterials with enhanced energy absorption and application-specific deformation characteristics.