Energy-absorption Characteristics of Tube-Reinforced Absorbent Honeycomb Sandwich Structure

Nomex honeycombs are widely used in lightweight structures due to their unique porous structure. By adding an absorbent agent to Nomex honeycomb wall and filling carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) tube, a novel tube-reinforced absorbent honeycomb sandwich structure was proposed. Its compressive properties and energy absorption characteristics were studied experimentally and numerically. Compared with empty absorbent honeycomb, the normalized elastic modulus E, peak stress and energy absorption of tube-reinforced absorbent honeycomb can be increased by 55.74%, 621.69% and 327.86% respectively. Moreover, the energy absorption of the tube-reinforced absorbent honeycomb was increased by 30.34%, compared with the sum of empty absorbent honeycomb and CFRP tube tested separately. The interaction effects and enhancement mechanism between absorbent honeycomb and CFRP tube were also discussed. The excellent electromagnetic absorption and mechanical properties make this novel honeycomb sandwich structure much more competitive not only in electromagnetic wave stealth application but also in load-carry structures.