Energy absorption characteristics of nano-composite conical structures

Abstract

The effect of the filler material on the energy absorption capabilities of polyamide 6 composite structures is studied in details in the present paper. The axial dynamic and quasi-static collapse of conical structures was conducted using a high energy drop tower, as well as Instron 5500R electro-mechanical testing machine. The impact event was recorded using a high-speed camera and the fracture surface was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained results indicate an important influence of filler material on the energy absorption capabilities of the polymer composites. A significant increase in specific energy absorption (SEA) is observed in polyamide 6 (PA6) reinforced with nano-silica particles (SiO2) and glass-spheres (GS), whereas addition of montmorillonite (MMT) did not change the SEA parameter. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.