Fuentes del Toro, SergioCrespo Sánchez, JorgeAyllón Pérez, JorgeRodríguez Prieto, ÁlvaroCamacho López, Ana María2025-11-042025-11-042025-02-01Sergio Fuentes del Toro, Jorge Crespo-Sanchez, Jorge Ayllón, Alvaro Rodríguez-Prieto, Ana María Camacho. Mechanical performance of 3D-printed TPU auxetic structures for energy absorption applications. Polymer Testing, Volume 143, 2025,108669, ISSN 0142-9418, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2024.108669.0142-9418 | eISSN 1873-2348https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2024.108669https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/30736The registered version of this article, first published in “Polymer Testing, Volume 143, 2025", is available online at the publisher's website: Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2024.108669La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en “Polymer Testing, Volume 143, 2025", está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2024.108669The emergence of metamaterials and layered structures obtained through additive manufacturing (AM) techniques opens a new paradigm of mechanical properties for advanced applications that need to be explored. This study investigates the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed auxetic structures, fabricated from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), under tensile and compressive loads. Utilizing fused deposition modeling (MEX), we examined the influence of printing direction on the anisotropic mechanical properties of TPU, with a particular focus on energy absorption, stress–strain responses, and damping capabilities. The research employs the Ogden model for hyperelastic characterization, demonstrating excellent correlation with experimental data. Thus, the novelty of this work relies on an approach that – with a focus in the precision and accuracy of the mechanical performance assessment – through a robust novel methodology combining the Ogden’s analytical model with numerical simulation provided by Ansys® and experimental tests of tensile and compression allows to comprehensively understand the mechanical performance of novel auxetic structures intended to energy absorption and impact resistance applications. Our findings reveal significant variations in mechanical performance based on printing orientation, with the 0°direction offering superior ductility and strength. These results suggest that optimizing the printing direction is crucial for enhancing the performance of TPU auxetic structures, particularly in applications requiring high impact resistance, energy absorption, and damping. This study contributes to the advancement of 3D printing technology for the development of next-generation materials with potential applications in protective gear, medical devices or damping devices, among others.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess3310 Tecnología industrialartículoAuxetic structures modelingThermoplastic polyurethane3D printingFEMHyperelasticAdditive manufacturing