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 (GBEP_fc) are investigated via compression experiments and the finite element method. The results are compared with those of a grid plate (GP_fc) with the same wall thickness as the GBEP_fc. Additionally, a fully integrated preparation method and process are developed for the GBEP_fc, 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 GBEP_fc relative to the GP_fc are 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 GBEP_fc developed 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]