Mencattelli, LorenzoLorenzoMencattelliPinho, Silvestre TSilvestre TPinho2020-02-072021-02-032020-04-12Composites Science and Technology, 2020, 190, pp.1-130266-3538http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/76578In this work, we design, prototype, test and analyse the first high-performance Herringbone-Bouligand microstructure (with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP)) inspired to the high-impact-resistant mantis shrimp's dactyl club. To this end, we devised the first prototyping procedure to manufacture point-by-point tailorable Herringbone-Bouligand CFRP microstructures; this was based on the micro-moulding of uncured CFRP prepreg, and led to mimicking features of the club microstructure never achieved before with CFRPs. We investigated the damage tolerance of the prototyped Herringbone-Bouligand CFRP laminates, compared against ‘classical’ Bouligand CFRP laminates, using quasi-static indentation tests. Our test results show that the Herringbone-Bouligand microstructure resulted in delayed onset of delaminations, reduced in-plane spreading of damage, increased energy dissipation capability, and in the containment of damage within the tailored Herringbone-Bouligand region. We conclude that Herringbone-Bouligand CFRP microstructures offer an excellent tailorable damage-tolerant solution with great potential for composite applications where resistance to through-the-thickness loads is paramount.© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Science & TechnologyTechnologyMaterials Science, CompositesMaterials ScienceCarbon fibresBio-inspiredHerringbone-BouligandDamage toleranceDamage mechanicsFAILURE MECHANISMSTOUGHNESSINTERFACE09 EngineeringMaterialsJournal Articlehttps://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2020.108047https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266353819329203?via%3DihubEuropean Union