The impact of graphene filler on the energy absorption of hybrid composite crash boxes


Erkek B., Kösedağ E., Adin H.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICS AND MATERIALS IN DESIGN, vol.1, no.1, pp.1-17, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)

Abstract

One of the safety components found in vehicles is crash boxes mounted on vehicle chassis. These boxes, when mounted on the vehicle chassis, are intended to preserve the integrity of vehicle and ensure safety of passengers inside during crashs. Since these crash boxes are generally made of metal, eforts are made to reduce the additional weight on vehicles. Therefore, like many other parts in vehicles, there is a tendency to move towards the use of composite materials in crash boxes. In our study, crash boxes with hybridization achieved by altering the winding sequences of glass, aramid, and carbon fbers, with addition of graphene, were experimentally compared in terms of maximum peak forces, energy absorption, and specifc energy absorption. Samples were produced with 0.25% graphene addition, with glass fber G0.25  g, aramid fber A0.25  g, and carbon fber C0.25  g, and in hybridization, windingsequences were internally aramid-carbon-glass ACG0.25  g, carbon-glass-aramid CGA0.25  g, and glass-aramid-carbon GAC0.25  g. Similarly, samples labeled G0.50  g-GAC0.50  g were produced with 0.50% graphene addition. As a result, the best maximum peak force and specifc energy absorption were achieved with the 0.50% graphene-added C0.50 g, at 8.52  kN and 10.08  J/g respectively. While the best energy absorption was with C0.25 g at 228.25 J, the worst was with glass fber G0.25  g at 21.78  J. The addition of graphene to A0.25 g and A0.50 g, namely the aramid fber samples, signifcantly increased their values by forming a good structure.