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In material science and solid mechanics, orthotropic materials have material properties at a particular point which differ along three orthogonal axes, where each axis has twofold rotational symmetry. These directional differences in strength can be quantified with Hankinson's equation.
They are a subset of anisotropic materials, because their properties change when measured from different directions.
A familiar example of an orthotropic material is wood. In wood, one can define three mutually perpendicular directions at each point in which the properties are different. It is most stiff along the grain, because most cellulose fibrils are aligned that way. It is usually least stiff in the radial direction , and is intermediate in the circumferential direction. This anisotropy was provided by evolution, as it best enables the tree to remain upright.
Because the preferred coordinate system is cylindrical-polar, this type of orthotropy is also called polar orthotropy.