Aramid Paper Honeycomb Mechanical Properties

Composite Structures 80 (2007) 588–594 www.elsevier.com/locate/compstruct

Mechanical properties of Nomex material and Nomex honeycomb structure

Choon Chiang Foo *, Gin Boay Chai, Leong Keey Seah

Nanyang Technological University, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore Available online 12 September 2006

Abstract This paper presents extensive test results of linear elastic mechanical properties of Nomex paper and Nomex honeycomb structures. The fundamental mechanical properties of the Nomex paper are then used in the finite element modeling and analysis of Nomex honeycomb structures. The finite element results are then compared with the experimental results and with the results using the well known theory from Gibson and Ashby [Gibson LJ, Ashby MF. Cellular solids: structures & properties. Pergamon Press; 1988]. Size effects are observed for the moduli of Nomex honeycombs. Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Nomex paper; Nomex honeycomb

1. Introduction Structural sandwich panels are widely used in lightweight construction especially in aerospace industries because of their high specific strengths and stiffnesses. The typical sandwich panel consists of a lightweight core covered by two thin facesheets. Each facesheet may be an isotropic material or a fibre-reinforced composite laminate while the core material may either be of metallic/aramid honeycomb or metallic/polymeric foam. For numerical impact analyses of honeycomb sandwich structures, several modelling approaches have been identified. One approach utilises standard shell finite elements, and is mainly used for approximation of the global behaviour in thin sandwich panels [2]. Another approach uses standard two-dimensional shell finite elements for the facesheets and three-dimensional solid finite elements for the core [3]. Such models are used to predict both local and general responses in the sandwich panel. However, material properties have to be...