Cost Cut with High Impact Value of Sandwich Structure with Inexpensive ABS Core between High Strength CFRP Laminate Plies

Abstract

Sandwich structural composites (CFRP/ABS/CFRP) of inexpensive acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) cores (2.0 mm thickness) between carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRP) laminate plies (2.5 mm thickness) were suggested and prepared, since the materials cost of ABS resin was about 8% that of CFRP. Although Young’s modulus of CFRP/ABS/ CFRP is slightly smaller than that of CFRP, Charpy impact value (auc) of the CFRP/ABS/CFRP approximately corresponded to that of CFRP composite. Furthermore, applying homogeneous low voltage electron beam irradiation (HLEBI) to both side surfaces improved the auc of CFRP/ABS/CFRP. Since the irradiated depth estimated is about 119 ± 23 μm, the irradiation effects mostly acted within the CFRP sheet. The Charpy impact value (auc) of CFRP/ABS/CFRP at mid-fracture probability (Pf ) after irradiation at 0.30 MGy (kJg_1) was approximately 25 % higher than that before treatment. It was approximately equal to that for irradiated CFRP and was also about 20% higher than that of the CFRP before treatment. Although the use of ABS resin as the core reduced other mechanical properties of tensile and bending, the materials cost of CFRP/ABS/CFRP was approximately 25 % that of CFRP. Thus, the sandwich structural composites of CFRP/ABS/CFRP could be utilized for daily articles.