Abstract:
Metal-polymer-metal (MPM) sandwich composite consists of two or more metal sheets
laminated hot pressed layer by layer with low strength of polymer material. To achieve
enhanced mechanical properties of MPM materials exhibits high stiffness and strength,
light weight, high plasticity, fire and vibration damping resistance. The general objective
of this thesis is to manufacturing and experimental test to investigate mechanical
properties of AA6061/HDPE/AA6061 sandwich sheets. Sandwich composite materials can
be used in aeronautical, marine, automobile body, outer body of machines, refrigerator
and air condition bodies, electrical device, house roofing and construction industrial
applications. These materials help to reduce fuel consumption due to light weight and
structural vibration damping resistance respectively. The significance of this study is to
manufacture MPM sandwich material and introduce in Ethiopian industry as it is a new
technology from advanced composite materials. This leads to increasing numbers of
applications MPM composites for primary structural components. Three kinds of
AA6061/HDPE/AA6061 sandwich sheet depend on the thicknesses of core materials will
be prepared by the hot pressing method. Mechanical properties of three kinds sandwich
sheets are investigated by conducting experimental tests, such as; tensile, hardness and
density tests. Three-point bending, tensile strength, impact force and cohesive zone model
for three kinds of sandwich sheets were analyses using ANSYS Workbench. For the present
study high density polyethylene (HDPE) it was observed that the fabricated MPM
sandwich composite materials were exhibiting better mechanical properties of these
materials. By increasing the core thickness, the mechanical properties use improved.
