Hope College Department of Physics and Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Summer 2006 Project Summary

The energy absorbing properties of Aluminum Honeycomb and other lower cost materials under impact loading were examined experimentally. Theories suggest that honeycomb absorbs energy by crushing when a force is applied that overcomes its bare crush strength. Therefore by measuring the deflection of a backing system one can uniformly study the mechanics of crushable materials and their abilities to absorb energy. Research testing was conducted using an Instron 8250 Drop Impact Tester. The baseline test samples were composed of 2024 T3 Aluminum. Results from these tests suggest that crushing is not the only mechanism at work. Bending of the honeycomb face skins and shearing in the honeycomb core also account for energy absorption. Overall honeycomb materials perform as well as or more effectively than lower cost solutions.

*This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF-REU Grant No. 0452206