Investigation on preparation and mechanical properties of carbon fiber fabric/hollow glass beads/epoxy resin sandwich composite laminates

Abstract To expand the application of light‐weight and high‐strength polymer matrix composites in the fields of aerospace, shipbuilding and transportation, it has designed and fabricated a new‐type carbon fiber fabric/hollow glass beads/epoxy resin (CFF/HGB/EP) composite with a three‐layer sandwich structure, consisting of an upper composite layer (CFF/EP), core layer (HGB/EP) and lower composite layer (CFF/EP). The effects of the CFF/EP layer and the HGB content on the sandwich composites were explored through a systematic investigation of the mechanical properties and microstructure. The results indicate that the density of the sandwich composite can be reduced to 0.83 g cm⁻³, while the flexural, impact, and tensile strength of the sandwich composite can be increased by 227%, 156%, and 118% compared with pure epoxy resin, respectively. The great improvement of mechanical properties of the sandwich composite makes its application in various industries more promising.