Abstract: X-cor sandwich, a novel structural material made by reinforcing lightweight foam with pultruded Pins oriented in a three dimensional truss network, possesses high specific strength and specific stiffness compared with honeycomb sandwich and traditional foam core sandwich. To experimentally study the influence of Pin’s angle and diameter on the compressive strength and compressive modulus of X-cor sandwich structures, the specimens of compressive test were made of the Rohacell 31 foam core and the Pins with two kinds of diameter in 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm respectively consisted of T300/FW63 carbon/epoxy with pultrusion process, and test data were compared with foam core sandwich structures without Pin reinforced. The results show that Pin can obviously enhance the compressive strength and compressive modulus of X-cor sandwich structures, with only a slight increase in density. The efficiency of Pin reinforcing the compressive property of X-cor sandwich structures increases as Pin’s angle decreases. Compared with big diameter Pin, small diameter Pin promises a higher efficiency in reinforcing compressive properties of X-cor sandwich structures.

Key words: sandwich structures, X-cor, compressive test, compressive strength, Pin’s angle