Experimental investigation of basalt/s-glass/epoxy/PVC H-130 hybrid sandwich composite

摘要

To achieve better functionality, sandwich composite structures are used in aircraft, windmill, marine, and automotive applications. During their service, sandwich composite structures are exposed to moisture and temperature, which deteriorate the properties of the composites; thus, it is highly essential to know the effect of moisture and temperature over a period of time to decide on the worthiness of the sandwich composite. In this study, three different sandwich composites with H130 PVC foam as the core material and facings either with E glass/Epoxy, or S glass/Epoxy or a hybrid with basalt/S-glass/Epoxy were fabricated by Vacuum Assist Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) and evaluated with flatwise tensile, shear tension, flexural and torsional tests. The sandwich composite which exhibited better mechanical properties was subjected to accelerated artificial aging as per ASTM C-481 standards. The results obtained from this study will be useful in arriving at a better sandwich composite material for secondary structures in aircraft applications. The sandwich composites were tested by adopting ASTM Standards C-297, C-273, C-393, D-198, and C-481.