Blast resistance of sandwich composite structures and natural fibers: A systematic literature review

Sandwich composites are widely used in civil, transportation, aerospace, and defense applications due to their lightweight facesheet-core architectures, which minimize blast-induced deformation while maintaining high energy absorption capacity. Conventional metallic and synthetic protective systems provide high strength but often increase structural weight and environmental burden. This systematic literature review synthesizes studies indexed in Scopus and Web of Science published from 2016 to 2025 on blast-resistant sandwich composites, focusing on design strategies, parametric studies, and the potential of natural fibers. The review employed the PRISMA framework for study screening and bibliometric mapping to identify dominant research clusters and design trends. The synthesis shows that blast mitigation is governed not by material strength alone, but by the coupled effects of core collapse, facesheet integrity, and energy dissipation. Core geometry, graded configurations, foam filling, hybrid laminates, and topology-optimized designs can improve back-face deflection control and damage tolerance when matched to the relevant blast regime. Natural fiber-based composites offer potential for sustainable protective systems, particularly in hybrid or secondary facesheet configurations under low-to-moderate impulse conditions. However, their application remains limited by material variability, insufficient high strain rate data, and inconsistent test metrics. Standardized benchmarks, normalized performance indicators, and regime-aware design strategies are needed.