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The Designs and Testing of Biodegradable Energy-Absorbing Inserts for Enhanced Crashworthiness in Sports Helmets
Paweł Kaczyński1, Mateusz Skwarski1, Anna Dmitruk2
1Department of Metal Forming Welding and Metrology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 14, 2024
Summary
Biodegradable composites, including PLA/PBAT blends, show promise for manufacturing energy-absorbing helmet liners. The PLA15PBAT85 blend demonstrated superior performance, offering a sustainable alternative to expanded polystyrene for sports safety.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Engineering
- Sports Safety Technology
Background:
- Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is the traditional material for energy-absorbing liners in sports helmets.
- There is a growing demand for sustainable and biodegradable alternatives in manufacturing protective gear.
- Biodegradable polymers offer potential for eco-friendly replacements in impact absorption applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the manufacturing feasibility and energy-absorbing properties of biodegradable composites for sports helmet liners.
- To evaluate the performance of polylactic acid (PLA) based composites with polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) plasticizers.
- To determine the optimal blend composition for effective impact energy absorption under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- Melt blending of PLA with PBAT and TPS at different mass compositions (50:50, 30:70, 15:85).
- Injection molding of thin-walled elements and quasi-static/dynamic tensile tests.
- Impact testing of manufactured elements using a drop hammer (60 J, EN 1078 standard) at varying temperatures and velocities.
- Development and validation of Johnson-Cook and Cowper-Symonds material models using FE simulations.
Main Results:
- Tensile tests revealed positive strain rate sensitivity and increased dynamic to static yield stress ratio with higher plastic content.
- Increased plasticizer content (up to 85%) reduced the minimum injectable thickness for PLA/PBAT and PLA/TPS blends.
- Impact tests showed maximum deflection increased with material temperature and plastic component share.
- The PLA15PBAT85 blend exhibited the most effective energy-absorbing capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Biodegradable PLA/PBAT and PLA/TPS composites can be successfully injection molded into energy-absorbing structures.
- The PLA15PBAT85 blend is identified as a highly effective material for sports helmet liners, outperforming other tested compositions.
- The developed material models accurately predict the behavior of these biodegradable composites under dynamic impact conditions.
