Nonlinear Dynamics of Sandwich Structures with Auxetic Materials

Sandwich structures combining stiff face sheets and lightweight cores have long been valued for their high strength-to-weight ratio and energy absorption capabilities. The incorporation of auxetic materials—characterised by a negative Poisson’s ratio—into sandwich cores introduces unusual deformation patterns under load, leading to enhanced impact resistance, vibration control and stability in extreme environments. Nonlinear dynamic behaviour arises when deformations become large enough that linear assumptions no longer apply, invoking geometric nonlinearity, material nonlinearity and interaction with elastic foundations or external fields. This interplay influences natural frequencies, mode shapes and post-buckling responses. In practice, auxetic cores can be realised through re-entrant honeycomb or chiral cell geometries, enabling tailored stiffness, damping and anisotropy. Recent advances in analytical modelling, numerical simulation and experimental validation have elucidated how core architecture, loading conditions and boundary constraints combine to produce softening or stiffening nonlinear characteristics. Such insights inform the design of next-generation aerospace panels, protective facings and adaptive vibration isolators, where dynamic stability under transient or harmonic excitation is critical. Understanding the coupling between auxetic behaviour and nonlinear dynamic effects paves the way for multifunctional structures that exploit controlled large-amplitude motions for energy dissipation, frequency tuning or shape morphing.

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Nonlinear Dynamics of Sandwich Structures with Auxetic Materials publication trend

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Technical terms

Auxetic material: A material exhibiting a negative Poisson’s ratio, expanding laterally when stretched and contracting laterally when compressed.

Sandwich structure: A composite assembly consisting of two thin, stiff face sheets bonded to a lightweight core to achieve high bending stiffness and low weight.

Nonlinear dynamics: The study of systems in which response is not proportional to input, often due to large deformations, geometric effects or material nonlinearity.

Honeycomb core: A periodic cellular structure, often hexagonal, used as the central layer in sandwich panels for its high stiffness-to-weight ratio.

Poisson’s ratio: The negative ratio of transverse to axial strain in a material subjected to uniaxial stress, indicating lateral contraction or expansion.

References

1. Dynamic Analysis of Sandwich Auxetic Honeycomb Plates Subjected to Moving Oscillator Load on Elastic Foundation. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering (2020).
2. An analytical model for the static behaviour of honeycomb sandwich plates with auxetic cores using higher-order shear deformation theories. International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design (2023).
3. Low-Velocity Impact Behavior of Sandwich Plates with FG-CNTRC Face Sheets and Negative Poisson’s Ratio Auxetic Honeycombs Core. Polymers (2022).