Synthesis and characterization of honeycomb sandwiched composite material for automobile applications

Abstract

With the world involved in an advancing global warming, we have started to be concerned about the environment and how we could take care of it since just few decades ago. Nowadays the strategy has changed into reduce consumptions and pollution. In the automotive industry, the requirements of reduction of weight and fuel consumption have become an essential study without losing any mechanical strength. This is done by improving old technologies and developing new ones. One of these growing new technologies is in the field of materials engineering. One such attempt is made by developing a material which may reduce the weight of the vehicle. This material can be helpful in making various automobile parts. One such is wheel spoke. Spoke is one of the rods that are rotating from the center of the wheel that connects the hub. Spoke is an important automobile part which bears a major load. This work is unique in such a way that materials are made using epoxy based composite materials along with the honeycomb material filled with liquid foam which is sandwiched between the fibers which can be used as an alternative material for making one of the automobile parts that is spoke. In general spokes are made using either steel or aluminum material. But from this work it is highlighted that the sandwich based composite materials can also be used as the spokes material and also for other automobile applications.