PET is a naturally tough, ductile polymer. Its foam structure absorbs impact energy through elastic buckling of the cell walls, rather than brittle fracturing. We quantify this through drop-weight impact tests that simulate flying debris, dropped tools, or hailstones. Test results demonstrate high retained strength even after a significant impact event. When this resilient core is bonded to a metal face sheet, the composite sandwich’s puncture resistance is formidable, satisfying the stringent hard-body and soft-body impact resistance requirements for accessible building facade zones.

