Effects of halloysite clay nanotubes on the energy absorption and failure mechanisms of glass/epoxy composite tubes subjected to quasi-static axial crushing

The capability of a structure to absorb enormous amount of energy is a crucial issue, particularly for structural components of vehicles, in decreasing the injury in case of collision. The current study investigates the impact of the presence of halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs) on crashworthiness performance of glass/epoxy energy absorbent composite tubes. Specimens filled with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% of HNTs were manufactured via wet-wrapping process and tested under quasi-static axial crushing. The crush load-displacement response, initial crushing load (P-ip), average crushing load (P-avg), crushing force efficiency (CFE), absorbed energy (U), specific absorbed energy (SEA) for the proposed composite tubes were determined and discussed. The crushing behaviors for all specimens were traced. Results indicated that the specimens' failure mechanisms and the energy absorption capacities of nanofilled glass reinforced epoxy composites are controlled by wt% of HNTs. The presence of HNTs improves the energy absorbing capacities of glass/epoxy composites during the crushing process. Composite tubes filled with 4 wt% of HNTs are recommended as energy dissipating elements in vehicles. Weibull distribution was applied to show the failure probabilities and the scatter in the output data. The obtained failure probability graphs are important tools for helping the designers to understand and chose the suitable material for the required design.