Simulation Study of Adhesive Material for Sandwich Panel under Edgewise Compression Condition

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Sandwich structures with aluminum alloy panels and foam cores are used in various applications.
• Accurate simulation of interfacial adhesive behavior under compression is crucial for structural integrity.
• Existing simulation methods require validation against experimental data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of two finite element models (MAT 185 adhesive element and tiebreak contact) for simulating interfacial adhesive material in aluminum-foam sandwich structures.
• To evaluate the influence of loading rates and element sizes on simulation accuracy.
• To validate simulation results against experimental and theoretical data.

Main Methods:

• Development of two finite element models using LS-DYNA: one with material model 185 (MAT 185) and another with tiebreak contact.
• Simulation of sandwich structures under edgewise compression at varying loading rates and element sizes.
• Comparison of peak load, energy absorption, and failure modes between models and with experimental/theoretical results.

Main Results:

• Both models showed that higher loading rates and smaller element sizes increased the peak load.
• The MAT 185 model demonstrated simulation results closer to experimental data under edgewise compression.
• Failure modes of the adhesive layer were analyzed for both simulation approaches.

Conclusions:

• Material model 185 (MAT 185) is a more suitable approach for simulating the interfacial adhesive behavior in aluminum-foam sandwich structures under compression.
• The study highlights the importance of considering loading rate and element size in finite element simulations of adhesive joints.
• Validated simulation methods are essential for reliable design and analysis of composite structures.