The effect of halloysite nanotubes reinforced epoxy filler on the crushing behavior of aluminum tubes

Abstract Crash box is one of the equipment to minimize the damage that may occur during an accident in vehicles. Many studies are conducted to improve the performance of crash boxes. Some of these studies were aimed at filling thin‐walled crash boxes. Halloysite nanotubes (HNT) were used as filling material in this study. HNT can be found in nature and is in nanotube structure by nature. For this reason, it is inexpensive compared to other nanotubes like carbon nanotube. Within the scope of the study, epoxy‐based mixtures with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% HNT were prepared and filled into aluminum tubes. The powders used were ~20–100 nm in size and in the form of cylindrical tubes. Investigated were the effects of the HNT ratio and the thin‐walled aluminum construction. Nine diverse types of specimens were created. The vacuuming principle was used as the production method. The reason for this is to minimize the air bubbles that may occur during mixing. The effect of aluminum tube and HNT ratio on energy absorption and mechanical strength was investigated. For this, quasi‐static tests were conducted. The absorbed energies of the specimens were determined by integrating the acquired contact force–displacement curves, and the specific absorbed energy was determined by dividing the absorbed energy by the specimen weights. SEM images were taken for internal structure characterization. In addition, FTIR analysis was performed to determine whether the composite was cured. According to the results obtained, the mechanical characteristics and specific absorbed energy of the filled specimens were superior to those of the unfilled ones. Specimen containing 5% HNT showed maximum energy absorption and mechanical strength. Although the HNT additive has a positive effect on the mechanical and energy absorption in general, it has been determined that the HNT additive affects the performances negatively from 10%.