Low-velocity impact behaviors of sandwich composites with different structural configurations of foam core: numerical study and experimental validation

Abstract

Abstract Sandwich composites have very weak properties as well as superior properties. Damages will be invisible and may create huge problems due to the high strength difference of composite components. To investigate sandwich composites, numerical studies’ importance is so high because experimental studies require high labor and are time-consuming. In this study, low-velocity impact properties of the configurations of sandwich composites with E-glass fiber/epoxy and PVC foam core are investigated numerically, and the results are compared with experimental results. Reference sandwich composite, and four different types of configurations are modeled with homogenized properties. Numerical simulations are performed using the material models of rigid impactor, foam core, and composite material models of LS-DYNA software. Numerical and experimental results of these sandwich composites are compared in terms of contact force-time and contact force-displacement curves, core/facesheet debonding areas, peak contact forces, absorbed energy, maximum displacement, and contact time; a good agreement is obtained.