Weaire–Phelan Clusters

These sculptures are formed using the “Weaire–Phelan structure,” the most mathematically efficient way for equal-volume bubbles to fit together to make foam.

The structure is made up of two pentagonal dodecahedra (12-sided) and six tetrakaidecahedra (14-sided) that form a translation unit with a lattice periodicity which is simple cubic. In crystallography, this structure is also known as the A15 Frank-Kasper phase.

“PD Centered” is the cluster of cells around a single pentagonal dodecahedron. “TKD Centered” is the cluster of cells around a single tetrakaidecahedron. “WP Translation Unit 60mm” is the translation unit.

See my main page for some other designs based on the Weaire–Phelan structure.

There is a good introduction to the “Weaire–Phelan structure” here: http://www.steelpillow.com/polyhedra/wp/wp.html