Comparison of the Bending Resistance Properties of Carbon Fiber/Foam Sandwich Structural Composites with Different Laying Angles

This research aimed to explore the influence of fiber laying angles on the bending resistance properties of carbon fiber/foam sandwich structural composites. Four kinds of composites with the following laying angles: [0°]₈, [0°/45°/90°/−45°]_s, [0°/90°]₄ and [45°/−45°]₄ were prepared and tested in three-point bending experiments. The results obtained showed that the bending resistance performance was the best when the laying angle was [0°]₈, while it was the worst when the laying angle was [45°/−45°]₄. Besides, it was found that the tensile performance was the best when the fibers were arranged in the 0° direction when the strength utilisation rate was the highest. In addition, by observing the failure morphologies of the composites, the delamination and foam cracking were found in the four groups of composites. In contrast, the phenomenon of significant fracture was found on composites with a laying angle of [45°/−45°]₄ only, indicating it had a poor bending resistance performance.