Buckling analysis of sandwich porous plates reinforced with agglomerated CNT/Polymer coatings using an equivalent 3D theoretical model

This study proposes an equivalent 3D theoretical model that incorporates thickness stretching effects (TSE) and the variation of shear strains across the thickness to investigate the buckling characteristics of sandwich plates with a metal porous-cellular core reinforced by agglomerated CNT/polymer composites. The combination of advanced materials, such as CNT-reinforced polymer coatings and metal porous-cellular cores, offers distinct mechanical advantages. However, the natural tendency of CNTs to agglomerate within the polymer matrix can significantly alter the overall mechanical properties of the coatings, potentially affecting structural performance. To address this issue, a two-parameter micromechanics model is employed to determine the effective material properties of the CNT/polymer layers. Additionally, the metal porous-cellular core is analyzed considering two porosity distributions: uniform and symmetric. To gain deeper insights, buckling loads are computed for varying levels of CNT agglomeration and core porosity, enabling a comprehensive parametric study of their influence on the overall buckling behavior of the sandwich plates. Numerical results reveal that CNT agglomeration disrupts the uniform stress distribution in polymer coatings, leading to a reduction in the buckling resistance of the sandwich plates. Furthermore, although the porous-metal core significantly enhances load-bearing capacity, its effectiveness is also compromised when CNT agglomeration occurs.