Compliant interlayers with geometric complexity, known as sutures, are a material architecture found in biological armors and carapaces. While broadly considered to provide enhanced mechanical properties, the interplay between geometric parameters describing the suture and performance of the bulk composites has not been fully explored, due in large part to fabrication challenges. Orthogonal polymer chemistries that allow spatiotemporal control over mechanical heterogeneity within a continuous polymer network provide a useful platform for investigating nuanced empirical geometry-performance relationships in sutured composites. This work specifically investigates how the mechanical properties of composite relate to the amplitude, wavelength, and tensile load orientation in films containing a single sinusoidal suture. When loading is applied perpendicular to the suture axis, the strength and toughness improve as the amplitude increases and the wavelength decreases. When loading is applied parallel to the suture axis, increasing amplitude weakens the mechanical properties, while wavelength variations exhibit minimal impact on the composite performance. This work develops empirical geometry-performance relationships for both loading orientations. Exploration of failure mechanisms and crack propagation stability for different suture geometries suggests that crack growth stabilizes as the suture becomes more complex (increase of amplitude or decrease of wavelength). Results of this study provide a novel framework for engineering composites with tunable performance tailored to specific loading environments.

Effect of interlayer geometry and orientation on the tensile properties and failure mechanisms of sinusoidal sutured photopolymer composite films

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