Ricerc@Sapienza

The aim of this experimental investigation is to assess the response to low velocity impacts of green sandwich
structures made of agglomerated cork encapsulated between two thin flax/epoxy face sheets. Three different
cork densities were considered to assess their role on the response to impulsive loading, both in low and high
strain rate conditions by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (from 90 to 238 1/s). The performance of these structures
has been compared to that obtained with similar specimens using a traditional synthetic foam core. Despite the

The increasing use of natural fibre composites in at least semi-structural applications along with a demand for a fast and accurate damage detection for quality purpose and in-service reliability promote a need for non-contact non-destructive testing techniques. To this purpose, ultrasound is probably one of the most widely used testing techniques but the need of a coupling fluid like water limits its use with natural fibre composites.