Compressive performance of a foam-filled fiber-reinforced grid beetle elytron plate

The compressive mechanical properties,failure modes and foam filler strengthening mechanism and effect of a short basalt fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composite grid beetle elytron plate with a polyvinyl chloride(PVC)foam-filled core(GBEPfc)are investigated via compression experiments and the finite element method.The results are compared with those of a grid plate(GPfc)with the same wall thickness as the GBEPfc.Additionally,a fully integrated preparation method and process are developed for the GBEPfc,with a material composition that is close to the structure and composition of the organism.Increases of more than 20%in the specific compressive strength and specific energy absorption of the GBEPfcrelative to the GPfcare ascertained.The foam provides a constraining force for the fiber composite structure;consequently,the trabeculae and honeycomb walls of the core transition from a lower-order deformation that easily occurs to a higher-order deformation that occurs less readily.The interaction between the core composite structure and PVC foam is described.The GBEPfcdeveloped in this paper is simple in structure and easy to prepare,and the material composition is close to biological prototypes and materials used in practical engineerings,which lays a foundation for the application of beetle elytron plates.