Effect of base materials on the dynamic enhancement of aluminium honeycombs

In order to clarify the influence the base materials have on aluminium honeycombs and to explore the difference of the buckling modes between dynamic and static compression, research of honeycombs with different base materials (3003H18 and 5052H18 aluminium alloy) was done. Test on specimens cut from aluminium honeycombs was conducted to investigate the uniaxial tension mechanical properties of base materials in this study. Both quasi-static and dynamic experiments on aluminium honeycombs with same geometry but made of different base materials were conducted. The quasi-static test was performed using universal tester with the loading speed of 0.1 mm/s and an “SHPB” system with large diameter PMMA bars was adopted in dynamic test with two average impact speeds (10 m/s and 28 m/s). High speed camera was applied in “SHPB” test to capture the image of the dynamic deformation of aluminium honeycomb structure. The test results showed that three stages can be divided in the compression of honeycombs and the buckling modes of different aluminium honeycombs under different loading speeds were the same. Dynamic enhancement existed in two kinds of aluminium honeycombs but with different enhancement ratios. The dynamic enhancement of 3003H18 honeycombs was more remarkable than that of 5052H18. Inertia theory can explain the enhancement. With the analysis of the result of base-material experiment, consumption was made that Honeycombs with a higher strain hardening rate tend to have a more remarkable enhancement.