Aluminium foam core sandwich panels are good energy absorbers for impact protection applications, such as light-weight structural panels, packing materials and energy absorbing devices. In this study, the high-velocity perforation response of a range of sandwich panels with Al A356/SiCp composite foam core and 1100 aluminium face-sheets has been investigated using a conventional gas gun. Impact perforation tests were carried out using a 10-mm diameter conical nosed indenter at velocities up to that required to achieve complete perforation of the target (i.e. 230m/s). The effects of facesheet thickness, density and thickness of aluminium composite foam core on the total, specific and extra absorbed energy and also ballistic limit of the panels during impact penetration were experimentally investigated. During test, top face-sheets globally bended and tore into several pieces and so absorbed part of impact energy. Rupture and densification are two deformation modes and energy absorption mechanisms of foam core. Localized indentation and tearing, global bending and delamination were also observed on back face-sheets. Higher foam core density and thickness and also thicker face-sheets resulted in higher absorbed energy and ballistic limit.

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