Sandwich Structures

flight-mechanic.com
A structural sandwich is a special form of a laminated composite comprising of a combination
of different materials that are bonded to each other so as to utilize the properties of each
separate component to the structural advantage of the whole assembly.
diabgorup.com
A typical sandwich consists of skins or laminates with a much thicker (in relation to the skins) structural core in
between. Each part in a sandwich has its particular function as described below.

Faces (outer and inner skins): The faces carry the tensile and compressive stresses in
the sandwich. Conventional materials such as steel , stainless steel and aluminum are often used as face
material. It is also suitable and common to choose fiber or glass-reinforced plastics as face materials. Reinforced
plastics can be tailored to fulfill a range of demands like anisotropic mechanical properties, freedom of design,
excellent surface finish, etc.

Core: The core’s function is to support the thin skins so they do not buckle (deform) inwardly or outwardly, and
to keep them in relative position to each other. To accomplish this, the core must have several important
characteristics. It has to be stiff enough to keep the distance between the faces constant. It must also be so
rigid in shear that the faces do not slide over each other. The shear rigidity forces the faces to cooperate with
each other. If the core is weak in shear, the faces do not cooperate and the sandwich will lose its stiffness.
It is the sandwich structure as a whole that gives the positive effects. However, the core has to fulfill the
most complex demands. Strength in different directions and low density are not the only properties the
core must have. Often there are special demands for buckling, insulation, absorption of moisture, aging
resistance, etc. The core can be made of a variety of materials, such as wood, aluminum, and a variety of
foams.

Adhesive (Bonding layer): To keep the faces and the core cooperating with each other, the adhesive
between the faces and the core must be able to transfer the shear forces between them. The
adhesive must be able to carry shear and tensile stresses. It is hard to specify the demands on the joints.
A simple rule is that the adhesive should be able to take up the same shear stress as the core.
It is of utmost importance that the skins properly adhere to the core to give the expected structural
behavior. The skin can be made of numerous materials, such as aluminum, steel, carbon, or glass fibers,
which has a big impact on the sandwich composite’s final performance.
Facing Materials :
Most honeycomb structures used in aircraft construction have aluminum, fiberglass, Kevlar®, or carbon fiber
face sheets. Carbon fiber face sheets cannot be used with aluminum honeycomb core material, because it
causes the aluminum to corrode. Titanium and steel are used for specialty applications in high temperature
constructions. The face sheets of many components, such as spoilers and flight controls, are very thin—
sometimes only 3 or 4 plies.
 Core Materials
Honeycomb

Each honeycomb material provides certain properties and has specific benefits. The most common core material used for
aircraft honeycomb structures is aramid paper (Nomex® or Korex®). Fiberglass is used for higher strength applications.
Honeycomb core cells for aerospace applications are usually hexagonal. The cells are made by bonding stacked sheets at
special locations. The stacked sheets are expanded to form hexagons. The direction parallel to the sheets is called ribbon
direction.

•Thermoplastics—good insulating properties, good energy absorption and/or redirection, smooth cell walls, moisture and
chemical resistance, are environmentally compatible, aesthetically pleasing, and have a relatively low cost.
•Aluminum—best strength-to-weight ratio and energy absorption, has good heat transfer properties, electromagnetic
shielding properties, has smooth, thin cell walls, is machinable, and has a relatively low cost.
•Steel—good heat transfer properties, electromagnetic shielding properties, and heat resistant.
•Aramid paper—flame resistant, fire retardant, good insulating properties, low dielectric properties, and good formability.
•Fiberglass—tailorable shear properties by layup, low dielectric properties, good insulating properties, and good formability.
•Carbon—good dimensional stability and retention, high-temperature property retention, high stiffness, very low coefficient
of thermal expansion, tailorable thermal conductivity, relatively high shear modulus, and very expensive.
•Ceramics—heat resistant to very high temperatures, good insulating properties, is available in very small cell sizes, and very
expensive.
Foam

Foam cores are used on homebuilts and lighter aircraft to give strength and shape to wing tips, flight controls,
fuselage sections, wings, and wing ribs. Foams are typically heavier than honeycomb and not as strong. A variety
of foams can be used as core material including:

Polystyrene (better known as styrofoam)—aircraft grade styrofoam with a tightly closed cell structure and no
voids between cells; high compressive strength and good resistance to water penetration; can be cut with a hot
wire to make airfoil shapes.

Polyurethane—used for producing the fuselage, wing tips, and other curved parts of small aircraft; relatively
inexpensive, fuel resistant, and compatible with most adhesives; easily contoured with a large knife and sanding
equipment.

Polypropylene—used to make airfoil shapes; can be cut with a hot wire; compatible with most adhesives and
epoxy resins; not for use with polyester resins, dissolves in fuels and solvents.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) a closed cell medium- to high-density foam with high compression strength, durability,
and excellent fire resistance; can be vacuum formed to compound shapes and be bent using heat; compatible
with polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resins.
Principle :
Sandwich-structured composites are a special class of composite materials with the typical features of low
weight, high stiffness and high strength. Sandwich is fabricated by attaching two thin, strong, and stiff skins to a
lightweight and relatively thick core.

The sandwich is analogous to an I-beam in the sense that when subjected to bending, the flanges carry
in-plane compression and tension loads (as do the sandwich skins or laminates) and the web carries shear loads
(as does the structural sandwich core). As with a traditional I-beam, when the flanges (skins) are further apart,
the structure gains more proportional stiffness. A thicker core achieves the same, but it also provides an overall
low density, resulting in a high stiffness-to-weight ratio.
Source:
http://www.econcore.com/en/products-applications/steel-
panels
Source: High speed cost efficient honeycomb core process technology bringing innovation in building materials
and applications-John SEWELL
Coming back to Textbook :
References:

Aircraft Structures-Peery

DIAB Group-Sandwich composites and core materials (PDF)

http://www.flight-mechanic.com/sandwich-structures/

http://www.econcore.com/en/products-applications/steel-panels