Compression property and energy absorption capacity of composite honeycomb structures based on molecular structure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the deformation patterns, stress distributions and energy absorption properties of specimens with different localized reinforcements made of polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon fiber (CF) materials. This paper conducts quasi-static compression experiments and simulations to analyze the reinforcement effects of these materials. The objective is to identify ways to improve the compressive performance of locally reinforced honeycomb structures. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, based on the molecular structure, a honeycomb cell is extracted from it and decomposed into base honeycomb cell and ribs. The unit cell structure is obtained by localized reinforcement at different positions of the base honeycomb cell, and the honeycomb structure is obtained by arraying the unit cell structure. Specimens of PLA and CF materials are prepared using a 3D printer. Findings Reinforcement of specific points significantly can improve mechanical properties and energy absorption of unit cell and honeycomb specimens. The PLA honeycomb structure shows plastic deformation with limited energy absorption, whereas the CF honeycomb structure exhibits elastic-plastic behavior, and enhances energy absorption. Large fluctuations and stable phenomenon can be observed in PLA specimens and CF specimens. Both specimens exhibit plastic deformation zones. Originality/value This paper obtains the deformation patterns and energy absorption characteristics of PLA and CF specimens under compression. Localized reinforcement at specific positions (mass increase <60%) not only avoids the significant mass increase, but also significantly improves the mechanical performance and energy absorption capacity of both cell structures and honeycomb structures. For cell structures, the load-bearing capacity is increased by 170.03% (PLA) and 168.85% (CF). For honeycomb structures, localized reinforcement at specific positions improves the load-bearing capacity by 139.3% (PLA) and 157.1% (CF) and enhances the specific energy absorption capacity by 98.4% (PLA) and 149.9% (CF).