Energy-Absorbing and Eco-Friendly Perspectives for Cork and WKSF Based Composites under Drop-Weight Impact Machine

Abstract

Lightweight structures with high energy absorption capacity are in high demand for energy absorption applications in a variety of engineering fields, such as aerospace, automotive, and marine engineering. Anti-impact composites are made of energy-absorbing materials that are incorporated into structures to protect the occupant or sensitive components against strikes or falls. This study deals with an experimental investigation of multi-layer composites consisting of cork and warp-knitted spacer fabrics (WKSF) for anti-impact applications. Composites were designed and created with a laser cutting machine in eight different configurations. To measure the energy absorption of the manufactured composite samples, a low-velocity drop-tower machine was designed, and the maximum reaction force due to the strike of the impactor on the specimens was measured by a dynamometer located under the samples. Moreover, energy absorption and specific energy absorption capacities were calculated for each specimen. In the final part of this study, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the designed composites was calculated to understand the eco-friendly properties of the composites.

Keywords

• cork composites
• mechanical testing
• multi-layer structures
• impact
• life cycle assessment
• drop-weight impact machine