Ricerc@Sapienza

The remarkable flexural properties of sandwich structures hinge on the selection of performing core materials with suitable out of plane mechanical properties, i.e. compressive ones. For this reason, this work compares the compressive behaviour of a synthetic foam (polyvinyl chloride) and an environmentally friendly agglomerated cork as a function of density, strain rate, temperature and anisotropy.

Thanks to the unique flexural properties, sandwich composites are considered as irreplaceable structures in many industrial fields, but their susceptibility to impact events is still a considerable drawback that undermines their structural integrity determining a reduction of their load-bearing capabilities. Considering that the core material plays the major role to distance the skins, the knowledge of its multiple-impacts response becomes a key design parameter in order to ensure a long-term stability to the structure.

Considering the major role played by sandwich structures in many fields where high stiness-to-weight ratio is required, the selection of a suitable core material is of paramount importance. In order to face the environmental problems related to waste disposal, the selection of an eco-friendly core material is now included in the design criteria of sandwich structures. Agglomerated cork is recognized as a good solution that combines satisfactory mechanical performances and eco-sustainability.