Ballistic Impact Response of Foam-Filled Sandwich Composites
Abstract Sandwich composites find increasing use as flexural load bearing lightweight sub-elements rail / ground transportation and marine bodies. In recent year, alternatives to traditional foam and honeycomb cores are being sought. One such development includes filling the cells of the honeycomb core with foam. The increased surface area allows stress forces to dissipate over a larger area than that offered by the honeycomb alone. This allows for use of lowering the cost of the honeycomb cells, and thereby making the design extremely cost-effective. In the present research, phenolic impregnated honeycomb / corrugated cells with polyurethane foam filling has been considered. The intermediate and high velocity impact response of these types of sandwich constructions has been studied. The applications for such cores would be in rail and ground transportation, where impacts in the form of flying debris are common.
