Zhang X, Tian M, Li J, Chen X. Investigating the Impact Behavior of Carbon Fiber/
Polymethacrylimide (PMI) Foam Sandwich Composites for Personal Protective Equipment.
Materials (Basel) 2024;
17:1683. [PMID:
38612196 PMCID:
PMC11012953 DOI:
10.3390/ma17071683]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
To improve the shock resistance of personal protective equipment and reduce casualties due to shock wave accidents, this study prepared four types of carbon fiber/polymethacrylimide (PMI) foam sandwich panels with different face/back layer thicknesses and core layer densities and subjected them to quasi-static compression, low-speed impact, high-speed impact, and non-destructive tests. The mechanical properties and energy absorption capacities of the impact-resistant panels, featuring ceramic/ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and carbon fiber/PMI foam structures, were evaluated and compared, and the feasibility of using the latter as a raw material for personal impact-resistant equipment was also evaluated. For the PMI sandwich panel with a constant total thickness, increasing the core layer density and face/back layer thickness enhanced the energy absorption capacity, and increased the peak stress of the face layer. Under a constant strain, the energy absorption value of all specimens increased with increasing impact speed. When a 10 kg hammer impacted the specimen surface at a speed of 1.5 m/s, the foam sandwich panels retained better integrity than the ceramic/UHMWPE panel. The results showed that the carbon fiber/PMI foam sandwich panels were suitable for applications that require the flexible movement of the wearer under shock waves, and provide an experimental basis for designing impact-resistant equipment with low weight, high strength, and high energy absorption capacities.
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