Effects of polymethacrylimide foam reinforced aluminum honeycomb sandwich under quasi‐static compression

Abstract In this study, aluminum honeycomb cells were filled with polymethacrylimide (PMI) foam of high strength and stiffness, and carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRC) skins were added to create a composite sandwich structure. Nine types of specimens with varying cell node spacing and foam density were constructed, and stiffness equations were derived. To compare the performances of aluminum honeycomb and PMI foam sandwich structures, their compressive responses were examined using edgewise and flatwise compression tests. Moreover, the failure was analyzed using finite element methods (FEM). Analytical and numerical models were used to investigate the size effects of rib width, rib angle, and node spacing.