Experiment on Mode I/II Mixed Interfacial Fracture Characterization of Foam Core Sandwich Materials at Elevated Temperatures

Foam-cored sandwich materials have been widely used in the civil engineering due to their advantages such as lightweight, high strength, and excellent anti-corrosion ability. However, the interfacial bonding strength of foam-cored sandwich materials is weakened at elevated temperatures. In practice, the effect of high temperature cannot be ignored, because the composites and foams are sensitive to the change of temperature in the environment. In this study, a series of single-leg bending beams were tested at different temperatures to evaluate the influences of high temperatures on Mode I/II mixed interfacial fracture of foam core sandwich materials. The temperature was from 29℃ to 90℃, covered the glass transition temperature of composites and foam core, respectively. The Mode I/II mixed interfacial crack prorogation and its corresponding interfacial strain energy release rate were summarized.