| Summary: | Numerous structures gain inspiration from nature and have been effectively incorporated into
different applications such as automobiles and airplanes. In order to effectively withstand impact
loads and achieve efficient energy absorption, it is necessary to incorporate appropriate structures
along with suitable filler materials. This study examines the energy absorption capacities of a nacre
structured core with foam filling at the central nacre cell cavities, as well as an acrylic filling at the top
and bottom sides, under low velocity impacts. The design of experiments involved identifying and
varying three important design parameters which influence the energy absorption behavior of the
composites. Subsequently, fillers were incorporated and the specimens were subjected to drop
weight testing. The composite material exhibited minimal deformations while absorbing a maximum
energy of 40.87 J. Therefore, it proved that this composite could withstand dynamic impact loads in
the absence of fiber face sheets, and adhesion between the PLA-carbon fiber and acrylic fill was also
improved under these conditions. The higher energy absorption behavior was obtained due to the
intermittent force transfer in the transverse direction due to the presence of the cross webs on the
top and bottom of the composite plate. The alternate arrangement of the hard and flexible materials
in the composite leads to the suppression of the stress step by step which results in high energy absorption behavior. In order to achieve optimal energy absorption with minimized deformations, the core structure must possess a nacre wall thickness of 2 mm with double cross web design.
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