Bionic yak horn lattice structures fabricated by LPBF: Achieving high strength and energy absorption in Ti6Al4V

• A series of bionic energy-absorbing lattice structures are fabricated utilizing the radial corrugated structure and longitudinally twisted fiber structure derived from yak horns as unit features. • Adjusting the truss diameters and angle parameters enhances the mechanical performance and deformation stability of the bionic yak horn lattice structure. • BYK1.0–0.8 exhibits optimal mechanical strength and stable deformation behavior, achieving a maximum compressive strength of 270.29 MPa and a specific energy absorption of 59.43 J/g. Meanwhile, the gradient structure BYK1.0-gc demonstrates the highest crushing force efficiency, reaching 123.88%. Inspired by the corrugated structures and twisted fiber structure of yak horns, this study employs Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology to fabricate a series of bionic Ti6Al4V (TC4) lattice structures. Body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) structures are utilized as control groups to compare mechanical indicators and deformation patterns, thereby validating the mechanical feasibility of this bionic strategy. Through quasi-static compression tests and finite element analysis, the results indicate that the BYK structure (BYK1.0–0.8) achieved a maximum compressive strength of 270.29 MPa and a specific energy absorption of 59.43 J/g, which can be attributed to the optimization of truss diameter and angle parameters. In comparison to the original structure (BYK0.8–1.0), these values reflect improvements of 88.0% and 80.38%, respectively. Furthermore, various bionic gradient structures are developed based on angle parameters and truss diameters. The results demonstrated that the crushing force efficiency of the gradient structures is nearly 40% higher than that of the uniform lattices. This work provides valuable insights for the design of high-performance energy-absorbing structures with potential applications in aerospace and automotive engineering.