An Innovative Auxetic Honeycomb Sandwich Tube: Fabrication and Mechanical Properties

In this study, based on the free-rolling mechanism of the auxetic honeycomb, a honeycomb cylindrical shell was successfully prepared to overcome the fracture problem of the hexagonal honeycomb during rolling. Auxetic honeycomb sandwich tubes (AHSTs) with a variable Poisson’s ratio were fabricated by molding and bonding. A Poisson’s ratio model of the auxetic honeycomb core was developed based on the strain increment ratio of the deformed honeycomb and validated using computed tomography (CT). Four failure modes (progressive stable fold mode I, unstable local buckling mode II, transverse shearing mode III, and mid-length collapse mode IV) of the AHST were summarized by comparing the deformation behavior and force–displacement curves with different geometric parameters. When the aspect ratio R is greater than 3, the AHST will be more easily damaged in instability (Mode IV). Static compression tests showed that the peak force (PF) and crushing force efficiency (CFE) of the AHST were higher than those of the CFRP thin-walled tube of the same diameter by 78% and 115%, respectively. Therefore, the AHST has excellent mechanical properties and it is feasible to use the auxetic honeycomb as a core for sandwich structures.