In-plane mechanical and thermal conductivity properties of a rectangular–hexagonal honeycomb structure

In this work, the mechanical in-plane and thermal conductivity properties of a novel cellular configuration for multifunctional applications are described using analytical and finite element models. The hexagonal–rectangular honeycomb proposed allows one more geometric parameter in the unit cell compared to the classical hexagonal honeycomb configurations. The added geometric entity provides enhanced in-plane flexibility and tailoring of properties, such as the in-plane Poisson’s ratio, which can become negative under specific geometry configurations. The thermal conductivities are modeled using the electric-thermal analogy, allowing closed-form solutions for the thermal properties of the honeycomb. Comparison between analytical models and finite element simulations provides good convergence of results.