Structural and Performance Comparison: Aluminum Honeycomb Panels vs. Aluminum Composite Panels‌

Fundamental Structural Differences‌

Aluminum Honeycomb Panels‌ adopt a “sandwich” composite structure:

Surface layers‌: 0.8–1.2mm thick aviation-grade aluminum sheets (3003H24 alloy, yield strength ≥145MPa)
Core layer‌: Hexagonal aluminum honeycomb cells (cell size 6mm ±0.05mm, thickness 5–50mm)
Bonding‌: Achieved via diffusion bonding under high-temperature pressure, forming molecular-level adhesion
Key features‌:
70%+ volume occupied by honeycomb cells
Closed air chambers (18,000 cells/m²) enhance sound attenuation
Ultra-lightweight: 5.5 kg/m² ±0.3 (tested per DIN 52100)

Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP)‌ feature a dual-layer structure:

Surface layers‌: 0.2–0.5mm thick aluminum sheets
Core material‌: High-density polyethylene (HDPE) mixed with aluminum hydroxide flame retardant (62:38 ratio)
Advanced variants‌: Basalt fiber-reinforced cores (patent WO2022156787)
Key features‌:
90% core material by volume
Typical density: 8–12 kg/m²
Limited creep resistance: 0.15mm/year deformation at 80°C (per JIS A 1475)

Core Performance Metrics‌
Parameter‌ ‌Honeycomb Panel‌ ‌Composite Panel‌
Bending Stiffness‌ 24 N/mm² (stress concentration factor 1.2 at cell nodes) 12 N/mm² (shear modulus of core G=148MPa limits rigidity)
Sound Insulation‌ 35–42 dB (effective across 200–5000 Hz) 22–28 dB (effective only for mid-high frequencies)
Fire Rating‌ A2 (melting point 660°C, zero heat release) B1 (peak heat release rate ≤250 kW/m²)
Thermal Expansion‌ 2.35×10⁻⁵/°C (89% match with steel structures) 1.8×10⁻⁵/°C (1.2mm joint displacement at 60°C temperature swing)

Application Scenarios‌

Honeycomb Panel Dominates in:‌

Long-span façades‌: 5.2m×1.8m panels for Shanghai Tower (wind pressure tested at 8.5kPa)
Acoustic engineering‌: 30mm panels reduce reverberation from 3.2s to 1.8s at Daxing Airport
Aerospace‌: 22% payload increase for SpaceX Dragon (saves $28,000/kg launch cost)

Composite Panel Excels in:‌

Cost-effective construction‌: 1800 m²/day installation at Xiongan Civic Center (6× faster than stone)
Complex geometries‌: 150mm curvature radius for Tesla Gigafactory roofs (-30°C to 80°C)
Decorative printing‌: ΔE≤1.5 color accuracy for Tokyo Olympic Village

Industry Trends & Innovations‌

Policy impact‌: Honeycomb panel usage in supertall buildings grew from 17% (2018) to 29% (2023) under China’s GB/T50378-2019 green building standards
Material breakthroughs‌:
Graphene-modified honeycomb cores (patent CN114524967A) achieve 0.8 W/(m·K) thermal conductivity
MDI-based formaldehyde-free cores (VOC <0.02mg/m³, LEED v4.1 certified) projected to reach ¥4.5B market by 2025
Emerging applications‌: BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) hybrid systems