Modeling of Organosandwich Structures Using an RVE Model of the Thermoplastic Honeycomb Core

Abstract

In the present study, Organosandwich structures consisting of a folded polypropylene (PP) honeycomb core and glass-fiber reinforced PP cross-ply face sheets are investigated with the aim of developing a valid method for structural simulation of Organosandwich structures. On the one hand, effective material properties are gained from a mesoscopic model on the basis of a representative volume element (RVE) and compared with data from experimental characterization. The morphology of the folded honeycomb structure was investigated via X-Ray computed tomography and 3d image analysis. On the other hand, the differences between experimental and effective core properties are shown, and the correlation between the mesoscopic honeycomb core structure and the entire sandwich behavior is validated by bending tests and a corresponding finite element model. A comparison shows that results can be achieved with the RVE model as well as with the homogenized core FE model with good agreement with the experimental data.