Impact response of polyethylene sandwich panel obtained by rotational moulding

Sandwich panels are more and more used in load bearing structures because of their high specific stiffness and high specific strength. Impact energy absorption is a characteristic required for some specific application, that is, in high-speed transportations. In this article, the impact response of a new sandwich panel made up of two polyethylene skins separated by lightweight polyethylene foam, built with an innovative manufacturing process called rotational moulding, is investigated by both the impact test and the finite element analysis. To characterize the low-velocity impact response of this new material, three homogenous polyethylene sandwich panels, 44 ± 1mm thick, are studied under seven impact test energy levels, from 5 to 70 J. Experimental tests have allowed obtaining absorbed energy and the load-time plot for each impact energy level. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of the damage is presented. Finally, a finite element model was implemented to evaluate the damping effect of the core.