Review of crack arresters performance in sandwich structure impact response

Abstract

Sandwich structures are rapidly replacing metallic materials in structural applications owing to their high strength-to-weight ratio and light weight. Failures in sandwich structures occur when composite sandwich panels are subjected to tensile, bending, shear, and impact forces. The sandwich structure is more prone to debonding failure at the face sheet/core interface. The initiation of a crack at the interface between the face sheets and core during in-service loading conditions diminishes the structural load-bearing capacity, potentially leading to abrupt failure This study reviews the methods that have been considered for improving debonding in sandwich failure. The important methods termed as crack arresters reviewed are classified as structural, fiber bridging, and constituent modification. Furthermore, the contribution of the crack arresters to improving the damage resistance is emphasized in this study. The articles selected for this review work impact response were largely based on publications of sandwich structures reinforced with crack arresters. This review will serve as a valuable resource for materials scientists, structural designers, engineers, and researchers focused on the design and enhancement of sandwich structures under impact loading scenarios. Sandwich structure with/without crack arresters • Crack arresters reroute crack path. • Structural modification leads to destruction of cores. • Z-pinning is more expensive than stitching method. • Matrix modification does not add weight to the sandwich structure.