Abstract

Designing materials with exceptional combinations of properties at low weight is a continuous goal in many industries. Cellular (i.e., porous) materials with one or more phases topologically organized in a precisely designed configuration (often denoted as architected materials, or metamaterials) are excellent candidates to reach combinations of properties that are unattainable by existing monolithic materials. Additive manufacturing techniques are perfectly suited to implement the topological complexity that is often required for optimal performance. As beneficial size effects often arise in mechanical and functional properties as dimensions are shrunk to the nanoscale, 2PP becomes an ideal platform to investigate and ultimately fabricate topologically micro-architected and nano-architected materials with truly unique properties. The chapter reviews some notable features of architected materials, surveys commonly available manufacturing approaches, and presents challenges and opportunities for 2PP fabrication.