Mechanical Properties of Balsa Cored Sandwich Structures with Glass/Epoxy and Fiber Metal Laminate Skins: A Comparative Study

Balsa wood is widely utilized to produce the light-weight, high-stiffness and cost effective sandwich structuresfor both marine and civil applications. However, balsa cored sandwich structures with fiber reinforced polymer skinsare commonly susceptible to moisture attacks. Thus, the main objective of the present study is to introduce a new balsacored sandwich structure based on the more resistant skins compared to the other conventional skins. In order tocharacterize the mechanical properties of these sandwich structures, a wide range of mechanical tests were undertakenon sandwich specimens made from fiber metal laminates (FMLs) in conjunction with balsa core. The conventionalsandwich structures made of E-glass fiber/epoxy skins and the same balsa core were also prepared and tested forexploring the effect of skin material on the mechanical response of the balsa cored sandwich structures.