Oblique impact loading conditions are common in automobile collision accidents, which strongly influence the energy absorption performance of thin-walled structures. In this paper, a novel three-dimensional (3-D) hexagonal structure-filled crash box with better comprehensive crashworthiness under multiple working conditions is proposed. First, the finite element models of four 3-D typical cellular structures (hexagon structure, re-entrant hexagon structure, star-shape structure, double arrow structure) are established. The dynamic responses of four structures under different impact angles (from 0° to 30°) and impact velocities (from 5 to 15 m/s) are discussed. The results reveal that the 3-D hexagonal structure has great advantages in terms of the energy absorption at varying inclination angles. Second, the 3-D hexagonal structure is filled in the crash box in the form of gradient distribution. The multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) based on the response surface model (RSM) is utilized to explore the optimal design of crash box. Compared with the traditional crash box, the optimal 3-D hexagonal structure-filled crash box increases 18.9% in specific energy absorption and decreases 21.7% in maximum peak force, which demonstrates great potential for applications in impact engineering.

The low-velocity impact properties and the optimal hybrid ratio range for improving the property of hybrid composites are studied, and the application of hybrid composites in automobile engine hoods is discussed in this paper. The low-velocity impact properties of the hybrid composite material are simulated under different stacking sequences and hybrid ratios by finite element simulation, and the accuracy of the finite element model (FEM) is verified through experiments. Increasing the proportion of carbon fiber (CF) in the hybrid layer and placing the basalt fiber (BF) on the compression side can improve the energy absorption capacity under low-velocity impact loads. CF/BF hybrid composite hoods are optimized based on the steel hood and the low-velocity impact performance of the hybrid composite. The BCCC layer absorbs the most energy under low-velocity impact loads. Compared with CFRP, the energy absorbed under 10 J and 20 J impact energy is increased by 26.1% and 14.2%, respectively. Through the low-velocity impact properties of hybrid composites, we found that placing BF on the side of the load and keep the ratio below 50%, while increasing the proportion of CF in the hybrid laminate can significantly improve the property of the hybrid laminate. The results show that the stiffness and modal properties of the hybrid composite can meet the design index requirements, and the pedestrian protection capability of the hood will also increase with the increase in the proportion of BF.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an emerging plastic that has insufficient properties (e.g., it is too brittle) for widespread commercial use. Previous research results have shown that the strength and toughness of basalt fiber reinforced PLA composites (PLA/BF) still need to be improved. To address this limitation, this study aimed to obtain an effective compatibilizer for PLA/BF. Melt-blending of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) with PLA in the presence of 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI: 0.5 wt% of the total resin) afforded PLA/PBAT-MDI triblock copolymers. The triblock copolymers were melt-blended to improve the interfacial adhesion of PLA/BF and thus obtain excellent performance of the PLA-ternary polymers. This work presents the first investigation on the effects of PLA/PBAT-MDI triblock copolymers as compatibilizers for PLA/BF blends. The resultant mechanics, the morphology, interface, crystallinity, and thermal stability of the PLA-bio polymers were comprehensively examined via standard characterization techniques. The crystallinity of the PLA-ternary polymers was as high as 43.6%, 1.44× that of PLA/BF, and 163.5% higher than that of pure PLA. The stored energy of the PLA-ternary polymers reached 20,306.2 MPa, 5.5× than that of PLA/BF, and 18.6× of pure PLA. Moreover, the fatigue life of the PLA-ternary polymers was substantially improved, 5.85× than that of PLA/PBAT-MDI triblock copolymers. Thus, the PLA/PBAT-MDI triblock copolymers are compatibilizers that improve the mechanical properties of PLA/BF.

Facing serious environmental degradation and its resulting of climate warming, how to conserve energy and reduce emissions becomes a serious issue for government supervisors and modern vehicle enterprises. Reducing the mass of a vehicle is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions and improve fuel utilization, essential to persist the low-carbon and sustainable-development bases in industrial production processes. When it comes to the selection of lightweight material for a car body in the processes of vehicle production, it is essential to comprehensively evaluate multiple relevant attributes in order to select the optimal material from several alternatives. Thus, it can be seen as a multicriterion decision-making (MCDM) problem. However, it is difficult to consider both the uncertainty of the expert’s preference and the imprecision of the attribute estimate. Considering this, this paper uses the method integrating grey relational analysis (GRA) with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to solve the problem of lightweight material selection for a car body. The AHP method is used to determine the weight of each attribute, and the GRA method is to select the optimal material among several alternatives. Finally, a case study is applied to verify the practicability of the proposed approach. The result shows that the proposed multicriterion decision method provides a precise and objective foundation for making decisions about the material selection issue.