Experimental Study on the Effect of Humidity on the Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Mechanical Metamaterials

In this study, six common fused filament fabrication (FFF) polymers-PEEK, PLA, PETG, ABS, Nylon, and TPU-were acclimatized at 15%, 45%, and 95% relative humidity (RH) to characterize tensile behavior, including Young's modulus, maximum strain, and ultimate tensile strength. Separately, mechanical metamaterial samples at relative densities (RD) of 25%, 35%, and 45% were tested in compression at the same RH levels to evaluate stiffness, strength, and Poisson's ratio. The water absorption process can generally be divided into different stages-rapid uptake (0-12 h), a plateau (12-60 h), and a late rebound (60-100 h)-with a total uptake ranking of Nylon > PETG > PLA ≈ ABS > TPU ≈ PEEK. Samples under tensile and compressive tests show a great difference between properties at different RD and RH levels. Poisson's ratio indicates that material responses remain predictable at low-to-moderate RH, whereas high RH serves as a critical threshold inducing abrupt Poisson's ratio behavioral shifts. This study provides systematic validation for the application of 3D-printed metamaterials under varying humidity conditions, such as biomedical implants in human body.