Quasistatic and low-velocity impact properties of entangled metallic wire material–silicone rubber composites

Abstract

Entangled metallic wire material–silicone rubber (EMWM–SR) composites with a three-dimensional interpenetrating network structure were manufactured through the vacuum infiltration method with the matrix of entangled metallic wire material (EMWM) and reinforcing element of silicone rubber (SR). Quasistatic compression tests and low-velocity impact tests of the proposed composites were performed, and the deformation model and damage characteristics of the tested EMWM–SR composites were investigated by performing computerized tomography scans and indentation depths. Experimental results show that the stiffness and energy consumption of the EMWM–SR composites are more than twice the sum of those of the individual EMWM and SR in the displacement range of 1.5–4.0 mm. With the increase of loading displacement, the stiffness of EMWM–SR composites increases steadily and the energy consumption increases sharply. Compared with EMWM and SR, the maximum displacement and peak force of the composite materials are decreasing significantly in the low-velocity impact tests. With increasing density, the impact resistance of the composites increases, while the energy absorption decreases. In other words, EMWM–SR 2.6 has better impact resistance but lower energy absorption capacity. The maximum displacement and the peak force increase synchronously with the increase in impact velocity. Interestingly, the composites maintain a high energy absorption capacity at different impact speeds. Furthermore, the energy absorption characteristics of the EMWM–SR composites under low-velocity impact are described in terms of the deformation mechanism of the wires.

Keywords

• Entangled metallic wire material
• Silicon rubber
• Low-velocity impact
• Impact behavior
• Energy consumption