Compressive strength and energy absorption of sandwich panels with aluminum foam-filled corrugated cores

Abstract All-metallic corrugate core sandwich panels as primary loading structures may rapidly soften under compressive loading due mainly to core member buckling once the peak compressive stress is reached, resulting in reduced load-carrying capability. Inserting close-celled aluminum foam into the corrugate core has been envisioned as a feasible way to enhance the load capacity. The enhancement due to foam filling were firstly explored experimentally under quasi-static out-of-plane compression and the underlying mechanisms subsequently numerically studied using finite element simulations. The foam filled corrugated panel was found to have strength and energy absorption much greater than the sum of those of an empty corrugated sandwich panel and the aluminum foam alone. It was demonstrated that the core members in the foam-filled panel were considerably stabilized by the filling foam against lateral deflection. In particular, the elastoplastic buckling wavelength of the core members was significantly reduced and the transition from axial deformation to bending of the core member was much delayed, both of which contributing to the enhanced strength and energy adsorption capability of the foam filled panel.