Graphene nanoplatelet additive impact on compression and bending strength of S-2 glass face-sheet honeycomb sandwich panels: An experimental study

In this study, the three-point bending, edge-wise, and flat-wise strengths of Nomex® sandwich structures with un-doped S-2 glass fiber face-sheet (Neat/S-2/glass) and those with Graphene nanoplatelet-doped S-2 glass fiber face-sheet (GNPs/S-2/glass) were examined parametrically. In the macroscopic images obtained post-experimentation, the damage to the structures’ face layer, core, and interface with GNP (graphene nanoplatelet) additives was visualized. Morphological images depicting the damaged structures were obtained by applying image processing techniques to the macroscopic images. Finally, the fracture mechanisms of fiber/fiber and fiber/matrix interfaces within the shell layers were examined in SEM images. As a result of the study, the addition of GNPs increased the strength of the interfaces between the fiber layers and the fiber core within the face layers of S-2 glass face-sheet Nomex® sandwich structures, leading to a 40% enhancement in bending strength, a 14% improvement in core compressive strength, and a 2.85% increase in edge-wise compressive strength. Moreover, the delamination damage between the face layer and the core, which undermines the structural integrity of the sandwich structure, was not observed in GNPs/S-2/glass sandwich structures. Thus, the damage propagation throughout the sandwich structure contributed to enhancing its load-carrying capacity. The collapse extent of the sandwich structures, determined through image processing, measured 8676 mm in Neat/S-2/glass sandwiches, whereas it amounted to 10,410 mm in GNPs/S-2/glass sandwiches. The inclusion of GNPs additive augmented the collapse strength of the sandwich structure by 19.9%. Utilizing GNPs as a filler in the matrix material has been recognized as a practical approach to enhancing the mechanical strength of sandwich structures.