Enhancing impact energy absorption in composite sandwich structures through synergistic smart material integration

This study conducted a comprehensive examination primarily focused on parametric study aspects to investigate the integration of smart materials, specifically shear thickening fluids (STF), into composite sandwich structures. The objective was to enhance the energy absorption capabilities of composite sandwich structures for impact protection. Two types of impact protection layers were proposed, involving the incorporation of STF into the core and facing of the composite sandwich structure. Low-velocity impact tests were carried out to assess impact behaviors and evaluate the resulting impact-induced damages. The findings revealed that the STF-filled core led to a significant enhancement in energy absorption capacity, ranging from 2.81% to 14.51%, compared to pristine structures. However, incorporating a small amount of STF into the facing did not significantly affect energy absorption capacity, except at low impact energy levels. Based on these results, the proposed composite sandwich structures with STF-filled cores demonstrate promising potential as protective layers against low-velocity impacts in various engineering applications in the near future.