Impact Performance of the Kaolin-Filled Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Facing Sandwich Structures

Composites have been widely used lately because of their high specific stiffness and strength characteristics. In this study, the impact resistance of sandwich structures with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) face sheet and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam core material, which is frequently used in areas requiring high specific stiffness, such as aviation and sports equipment were investigated. Kaolin micro-particles, which are generally used in the structure of laminated composites in the literature, were added to the face sheets in various proportions such as 0%, 2%, 5%, and 10%. Four different sandwich configurations were tested under 10 J, 17.5 J, and 25 J impact energy with a low-velocity drop weight impact test device. Maximum impact load, absorbed energy, and indentation depth values were given comparatively.