Experimental and theoretical correlation of honeycomb cores and rings

In this study the compressive properties of honeycomb core and rings were correlated using the relative yield stresses of the core and rings, their physical dimensions and properties and a honeycomb scaling factor. The honeycomb scaling factor described the ability of the cell to rotate during compression. In correlating the compression properties, two scaling factors were required to accurately describe the behavior of the core. For higher density cores, the effective cell wall length for buckling was found to decrease due to resin accumulation in the node fillet. The compressive properties of the honeycomb rings were also investigated using both a model and a commercial phenolic honeycomb dip resin. Honeycomb rings manufactured from the model resin were found to have a higher compressive properties. These properties were attributed to the higher fracture toughness of the resin. Ultimately, this research can be used to innovate and efficiently characterize the compressive properties of different honeycomb webs and dip resins without having to make the significant investment of time and money associated with large scale honeycomb testing.