Enhancing the Out-of-Plane Compressive Performance of Lightweight Polymer Foam Core Sandwiches

This study investigates the flatwise compressive performance of developed sandwiches with core stitching modification. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam cores a density 0.048 g/cm3 were stitched 600-tex glass fiber yarns. Then materials sandwiched carbon/epoxy and glass/epoxy face sheets, respectively. The composite sandwich structures produced by applying vacuum bag method, layers co-cured. non-stitched also manufactured as benchmark. panels subjected to compression tests per ASTM C365 Standard obtain properties. mechanical testing showed that carried dramatically higher loads presented additional load peaks. increments in strength found above 80% without significant weight penalty. Core stitching, providing have better out-of-plane strength, is simple less time-consuming through-thickness reinforcement process among other modification methods.