Potentiality of halloysite nanoclay on crashworthiness performance of polymer composite tubular elements

Abstract

The recent article investigates the impact of the presence of halloysite nanoclay (HNC) on crashworthiness performance of glass/epoxy energy absorbent composite tubes. Specimens filled with 0,1,2,3, and 4 wt. % of HNC were manufactured via wet-wrapping process and tested under quasi-static axial loadings. The crush load-displacement response, initial crushing load [Formula: see text], average crushing load ([Formula: see text]), crushing force efficiency ( CFE), absorbed energy ( U), and specific absorbed energy ( SEA) for the proposed composites were determined. The crushing behaviors for all specimens were traced. It was indicated that the specimens’ failure mechanisms and the energy absorption capacities of nanofilled glass/epoxy composites are highly dominated by the wt. % of the embedded HNC. The inclusion of HNC enhances the energy absorbing capacities of glass/epoxy composites during the crushing process. Composite tubes filled with 4 wt. % of HNC has the highest load carrying and energy absorption capacities which are, respectively, 32.75 kN and 1110.84 J. So, they are the most suitable materials for energy dissipating elements. The inclusion of 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt. % of HNC to glass/epoxy composite tubes exhibits, respectively, an enhancement of 8.56, 35.76, 37.96, and 53.33% in [Formula: see text] and an enhancement of 169.29, 215.76, 204.60, and 254.19% in the [Formula: see text]. Also, an improvement in the energy absorbing by, respectively, 220.43, 270.09, 249.11, and 320.98% was attended. The purpose of this work is to experimentally study the applicability of HNC in the energy dissipating composite tubular elements.