AlHumairee, S., Mahmood, I., Hunain, M., Raheem, H. (2025). Examining the flexural behavior of honeycomb sandwich composites: A numerical and experimental study. , 43(7), 507-521. doi: 10.30684/etj.2025.155806.1864
Salwan H. AlHumairee; Ibtihal A. Mahmood; Mustafa B. Hunain; Hassan M. Raheem. "Examining the flexural behavior of honeycomb sandwich composites: A numerical and experimental study". , 43, 7, 2025, 507-521. doi: 10.30684/etj.2025.155806.1864
AlHumairee, S., Mahmood, I., Hunain, M., Raheem, H. (2025). 'Examining the flexural behavior of honeycomb sandwich composites: A numerical and experimental study', , 43(7), pp. 507-521. doi: 10.30684/etj.2025.155806.1864
AlHumairee, S., Mahmood, I., Hunain, M., Raheem, H. Examining the flexural behavior of honeycomb sandwich composites: A numerical and experimental study. , 2025; 43(7): 507-521. doi: 10.30684/etj.2025.155806.1864

Examining the flexural behavior of honeycomb sandwich composites: A numerical and experimental study

Engineering and Technology Journal
Volume 43, Issue 7, July 2025, Pages 507-521    PDF (1.32 M)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.30684/etj.2025.155806.1864
Authors
Salwan H. AlHumairee* 1; Ibtihal A. Mahmood1; Mustafa B. Hunain2; Hassan M. Raheem3
1Mechanical Engineering Dept., University of Technology-Iraq, Alsina’a street, 10066 Baghdad, Iraq.
2Mechanical Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq.
3Ministry of Oil, Karabla Refinery, Karbala, Iraq. Mechanical Engineering Dept., University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
Abstract
Composite sandwich panel structures have been widely used in engineering and aerospace applications. Predicting the flexural properties of theoretical composite constructions is crucial for efficiently designing sandwich composite panel products. This research investigates four different cell core forms—circular, hexagonal, rectangular, and triangular—utilized in the manufacture of sandwich composite structures using a numerical program. For each case, the sandwich composite panel structure maintained constant weight and constant thickness for all models. The skin was fabricated from one layer of carbon fiber and two layers of glass fiber, combined with 3% carbide silicon and 6% polysulfide rubber in an epoxy matrix. The volume fraction for both carbon fiber and glass fiber was 35%, embedded in the epoxy mixture containing polysulfide rubber and carbide silicon (SiC). Finite element analysis using ANSYS Workbench 17.2 under three-point bending tests of the models revealed the rectangular cell core form as the optimal choice, exhibiting the least distortion (0.42992 mm) compared to other forms. The circular, hexagonal, and triangular core forms demonstrated deformations of 0.47267 mm, 0.48254 mm, and 0.51483 mm, respectively, representing a 9.05%, 10.91%, and 16.5% increase in deformation compared to the rectangular core. The maximum elastic strain for the rectangular core was 0.0067369, while the circular, hexagonal, and triangular cores exhibited strains of 0.0098421, 0.0092298, and 0.0072145, respectively, showing a 31.55%, 27%, and 6.62% increase in strain compared to the rectangular core. From the results of the finite element analysis, the rectangular model was chosen for manufacturing experimental models. Three models were prepared according to the bending test requirements. The experimental results demonstrated strong agreement with the numerical findings of this study.

Highlights
  • The effect of honeycomb shapes on sandwich panels under three-point bending was analyzed using ANSYS.
  • The optimal honeycomb shape was selected for manufacturing samples.
  • Manufactured samples were experimentally tested, and results were compared with numerical analysis for validation.
  • Circular, hexagonal, and triangular cores showed up to 16.5% more deformation than the rectangular core.
  • Elastic strain rose by up to 31.55% in circular cores compared to the rectangular core.
Keywords
Composite material; Honeycomb; Flexural load; Sandwich panel; ANSYS
References
  1. A. Kumar, S. Angra, and A. K. Chanda, Analysis of the effect of variation of honeycomb core cell size and sandwich panel width on the stiffness of a sandwich structure, Res. Eng. Struct. Mater., 8 (2022) 45-56. http://dx.doi.org/10.17515/resm2021.308me0606
  2. A. E. Krauklis, C. W. Karl, A. I. Gagani, and J. K. Jørgensen, Composite material recycling technology—state-of-the-art and sustainable development for the 2020s, J. Compos. Sci., 5 (2021) 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs5010028
  3. S. A. Khan, H. A. Khan, R. Awais, and S. Khushbash, Classification of progressive failure and mechanical behavior of dissimilar material hybrid joints at varying temperatures, Thin-Walled Struct., 182 (2023) 110212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2022.110212
  4. V. Birman and G. A. Kardomateas, Review of current trends in research and applications of sandwich structures, Composites, Part B, 142 (2018) 221-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.01.027
  5. W. Nsengiyumva, S. Zhong, J. Lin, Q. Zhang, J. Zhong, and Y. Huang, Advances, limitations and prospects of nondestructive testing and evaluation of thick composites and sandwich structures: A state-of-the-art review, Compos. Struct., 256 (2021) 112951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112951
  6. J. Galos, R. Das, M. P. Sutcliffe, and A. P. Mouritz, Review of balsa core sandwich composite structures, Mater. Des., 221 (2022) 111013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.111013
  7. M. A. Ahmad, H. Rafiq, S. I. A. Shah, S. A. Khan, S. T. u. I. Rizvi, and T. A. Shams, Selection methodology of composite material for retractable main landing gear strut of a lightweight aircraft, Appl. Sci., 12 (2022) 5689. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115689
  8. S. A. Khan, H. A. Khan, A. Khan, S. Salamat, S. S. Javaid, and R. M. A. Khan, Investigation of the mechanical behavior of FDM processed CFRP/Al hybrid joint at elevated temperatures, Thin-Walled Struct., 192 (2023) 111135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2023.111135
  9. D. M. Baca Lopez and R. Ahmad, Tensile mechanical behavior of multi-polymer sandwich structures via fused deposition modeling, Polym., 12 (2020) 651. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12030651
  10. S. Mirzamohammadi, R. Eslami-Farsani, and H. Ebrahimnezhad-Khaljiri, The experimental assessment of carbon nanotubes incorporation on the tensile and impact properties of fiber metal laminate fabricated by jute/basalt fabrics-aluminum layers: as hybrid structures, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: J. Mech. Eng. Sci., 237 (2023) 1877-1886. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544062221134223
  11. A. Farrokhabadi, S. A. Taghizadeh, H. Madadi, H. Norouzi, and A. Ataei, Experimental and numerical analysis of novel multi-layer sandwich panels under three-point bending load, Compos. Struct., 250 (2020) 112631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112631
  12. R. Rajpal, K. Lijesh, and K. Gangadharan, Parametric studies on bending stiffness and damping ratio of Sandwich structures, Addit. Manuf., 22 (2018) 583-591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.05.039
  13. M. Charekhli-Inanllo and M. Mohammadimehr, The effect of various shape core materials by FDM on low-velocity impact behavior of a sandwich composite plate, Eng. Struct., 294 (2023) 116721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.116721
  14. C. Zheng, S. Yan, and B. Liu, Investigation on dynamic characteristics of composite sandwich plates with co-cured damping core, Appl. Acoust., 192 (2022) 108735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2022.108735
  15. N. R. Gir, A. Patel, and A. Ghalke, FEA and Experimental analysis of Honeycomb sandwich panel using glass fiber, Int. J. Mech. Eng. Educ., 4 (2016) 16-23.
  16. E. Z. Fadhel, Numerical Optimization of Sandwich Composite Structure under Flexural Load, Iraqi J. Mech. Mater. Eng., 18 (2018) 616-627. http://dx.doi.org/10.32852/iqjfmme.v18i4.224
  17. Q. Qin, W. Zhang, S. Liu, J. Li, J. Zhang, and L. Poh, On dynamic response of corrugated sandwich beams with metal foam-filled folded plate core subjected to low-velocity impact, Composites Part A: Appl. Sci. Manuf., 114 (2018) 107-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2018.08.015
  18. M. Petousis, N. Vidakkis, N. Mountakis, S. Grammatikos, et al., Silicon carbide nanoparticles as a mechanical boosting agent in material extrusion 3D-printed polycarbonate, Polymers, 14 (2022) 3492. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173492
  19. M. S. Al Ansari, S. Kaliappan, G.V. Sree, P.K. Prabhakar, R. Maranan, P.D. Meshram‏, Enhancing Mechanical Properties of Composites with Plasma-Treated Linear Low-Density Propylene Matrix, SiC Nanoparticles, and Carbon Fiber Filler, in E3S Web of Conferences, 556, 2024, 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202455601018
  20. I. A. Mahmood and M. Z. Shamukh, Characteristics and properties of epoxy/polysulfide blend matrix reinforced by short carbon and glass fibers, Al-Nahrain J. Eng. Sci., 20 (2017) 80-87.
  21. V. Burkhardt, Liquid Polysulfide Polymers for Chemical- and Solvent-Resistant Sealants, Adhesives Mag., (2025).
  22. H. Rydarowski and M. Koziol, Repeatability of glass fiber reinforced polymer laminate panels manufactured by hand lay-up and vacuum-assisted resin infusion, J. Compos. Mater., 49 (2015) 573-586. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0021998314521259
  23. S. S. Abbas, R. M. Raouf, and H. H. Al-Moameri, Preparation of Calcium Titanate Nanoparticles with Investigate the Thermal and Electrical Properties by Incorporating Epoxy, Mater. Sci. Forum, 1083 (2023) 13-22. https://doi.org/10.4028/p-ep913a
  24. J. B. Torrez, Light-weight materials selection for high-speed naval craft, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007.
  25. A. Ç. Boyacı and M. Ç. Tüzemen, Multi-criteria decision-making approaches for aircraft-material selection problem, Int. J. Mater. Prod. Technol., 64 (2022) 45-68. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMPT.2022.120246
  26. K. K. Rao, K. J. Rao, A. Sarwade, and B. M. Varma, Bending behavior of aluminum honey comb sandwich panels, Int. J. Eng. Adv. Tech., 1 (2012) 268-272.
  27. K. Sukhyy, E. Belyanovskaya, A. Nosova, I. Sukha, et al., Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Composites Modified with Polysulphide Rubber, Chemistry, 16 (2022) 432-439. http://dx.doi.org/10.23939/chcht16.03.432
  28. R.-M. Wang, S.-R. Zheng, and Y. G. Zheng, Polymer matrix composites and technology. Elsevier, 2011.
  29. S. H. AlHumairee, M. B. Hunain, and I. A. Mahmood, Effect of SiC nanoparticles on mechanical and damping properties of epoxy/polysulfide rubber blend composite, Phys. Scr., 99 (2024) 065934. https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/ad43a0
  30. E. Edan and A. S. Al-Ezzi, Optimization and analysis of Sic reinforced copolymer blend composite structural springs, Proc. Inst. Mech. En.g, Part E: Process Mech. Eng., 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544089231217925
  31. L. Zhang, W. Liu, L. Wang, and Z. Ling, Mechanical behavior and damage monitoring of pultruded wood-cored GFRP sandwich components, Compos. Struct., 215 (2019) 502-520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2019.02.084
  32. A. Karim, E. Kader, A. Hamod, and A. Abdulrahman, Mechanical properties of a hybrid composite material (epoxy-polysulfide rubber) reinforced with fibres, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 433, 2018, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/433/1/012050
  33. S. A. Khan, H. Liaqat, F. Akram, and H. A. Khan, Development of a design space for dissimilar materials joining in aerospace applications, The Aeronaut. J., 128 (2024) 1284-1301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/aer.2023.109
  34. Z. I. Khan, A. Arsad, Z. Mohamad, U. Habib, and M. A. A. Zaini, Comparative study on the enhancement of thermo-mechanical properties of carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites, Mater. Today: Proceedings, 39 (2021) 956-958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.223
  35. D. Matykiewicz, Hybrid epoxy composites with both powder and fiber filler: a review of mechanical and thermomechanical properties, Materials, 13 (2020) 1802. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13081802
  36. Q. K. Al-Jubouri, Mechanical Properties Study of Composite Materials Reinforced with Metal Wire, M.Sc. Thesis, University of Technology, 1998.
  37. P. Morampudi, K. K. Namala, Y. K. Gajjela, M. Barath, and G. Prudhvi, Review on glass fiber reinforced polymer composites, Mater. Today: Proceedings, 43 (2021) 314-319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.11.669
  38. S. Hegde, B. S. Shenoy, and K. Chethan, Review on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and their mechanical performance, Mater. Today: Proceedings, 19 (2019) 658-662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.07.749
  39. A. Y. Chen, S. Baehr, A. Turner, Z. Zhang, and G. X. Gu, Carbon-fiber reinforced polymer composites: A comparison of manufacturing methods on mechanical properties, Int. J. Lightweight Mater. Manuf., 4 (2021) 468-479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlmm.2021.04.001
  40. C.-H. Li, J.-B. Yan, and H.-N. Guan, Finite element analysis on enhanced C-channel connectors in SCS sandwich composite structures, Struct., 30 (2021) 818-837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2021.01.050
  41. E. Dereli, J. Mbendou II, V. Patel, and C. Mittelstedt, Analytical and numerical analysis of composite sandwich structures with additively manufactured lattice cores, Composites Part C: Open Access, 14 (2024) 100484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomc.2024.100484
  42. M. Nazim, H. A. Khan, S. A. Khan, H. Liaqat, and K. Rehman, Design, development, and performance evaluation of FDM-based fastening techniques for single-lap joints, JOM, 76 (2024) 930-940. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-023-06324-1
  43. Q. Ma, M. Rejab, J. Siregar, and Z. Guan, A review of the recent trends on core structures and impact response of sandwich panels, J. Compos. Mater., 55 (2021) 2513-2555. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998321990734
  44. T. Önal and Ş. Temiz, Experimental and numerical investigation of flexural behavior of balsa core sandwich composite structures, Mater. Test., 65 (2023) 1056-1068. https://doi.org/10.1515/mt-2022-0375
  45. M. K. H. Pulok, M. S. Rahman, and M. A. S. Akanda, Numerical analyses of stress and deformation in sandwich-structured composites, J. Strain Anal. Eng. Des., 56 (2021) 339-358. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309324720976621
  46. L. Uğur, H. Duzcukoglu, O. S. Sahin, and H. Akkuş, Investigation of impact force on aluminium honeycomb structures by finite element analysis, J. Sandw. Struct. Mater., 22 (2020) 87-103. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099636217733235
  47. V. Pourriahi, M. Heidari-Rarani, and A. Torabpour Isfahani, Influence of geometric parameters on free vibration behavior of an aluminum honeycomb core sandwich beam using experimentally validated finite element models, J. Sandw. Struct. Mater., 24 (2022) 1449-1469. https://doi.org/10.1177/10996362211053633
  48. L. P. Kollar and G. S. Springer, Mechanics of composite structures. Cambridge university press, 2003.
  49. S. Sharma, Composite Materials: Mechanics, Manufacturing and Modeling. CRC Press, 2021.
Statistics
Article View: 241
PDF Download: 197


Journal Management System. Powered by iJournalPro.com