CHARACTERISTICS OF FAILURE MECHANISMS AND SHEAR STRENGTH OF SANDWICH COMPOSITES

Sandwich composites are very popular nowadays due to their beneficial mechanical parameters and low weight. The aim of the paper was to investigate the failure mechanisms of different sandwich structures under shear stresses. Composites consisting of carbon laminate skins and cores with different geometry were tested. The core materials included various expanded polymer foams, balsa wood and honeycomb structures - aramid and cellulose. These material combinations enabled the authors to compare the specific shear strength and fracture energy of different sandwich structures, describe the factors which influence the behavior of materials under shear tension, and characterize the failure mechanisms. Sandwich composites were manufactured by two methods: the one-step method in which carbon fabric was laminated directly onto the core, and by the two-step method. The faces made employing the first method failed to meet the appropriate strength criteria, therefore the second method was used. In the first step, faces made of four layers of carbon fabric and epoxy resin were pre-manufactured by hand lay-up. After crosslinking, the faces were glued to the core and left in higher pressure conditions. Samples were cut to the required dimensions. Shear strength was tested by three point bending of a short beam. The method is simple and allows shear stresses to dominate in the sample. Tests were made on a testing machine, Zwick 1435. The density of the samples was considered as well, so as to compare their specific strength. The highest value of specific shear strength, (8.7 +/- 0.7).10(3) Nm/kg, was demonstrated by the composite with balsa, whereas for the composite with the honeycomb it reached (3.3 +/- 0.3).10 (3) Nm/kg and for samples with foams (4.2 +/- 0.2) .10 (3) Nm/kg. Additionally the failure energy was calculated for each material. The composite with aramid honeycomb had the highest value - it reached (9.3 +/- 0.5) kJ/m(2), while value of this parameter for balsa was the lowest: (3.3 +/- 0.3) kJ/m(2). The composite with balsa deformed elastically until break point and a crack between the layers appeared. The sandwich structure with the aramid honeycomb core is a promising material as it exhibited a multi-stage failure mechanism. Firstly, it deformed elastically, then the cells collapsed. Only in the composite with balsa and honeycomb with four-layer skins was shear the dominant failure mechanism. The composites with isotropic foams did not fulfill expectations, they deformed plastically and a notch appeared. That is why they need further examinations to increase their shear strength. In this study, the cracking mechanisms of the composites were evaluated based on microscopic observations using a digital microscope. Depending on the core geometry, the following mechanisms were identified: core shear for the honeycomb, delamination and crack for balsa, and notch appearance for the foam composites. The presented results are an introduction to further investigations of sandwich failure under different conditions.