Manufacturing and performance of sandwich composite panels with recycled PET foam core made by continuous roll forming

A parametrical study has been conducted for double-belt laminating method to optimize the manufacturing process of composite sandwich panels. Examinations have been done to assess the adhesion bonding characteristics between the skin and core. The outcomes of peel-off and flatwise tests revealed that an adequate connection was formed between the composite facesheets and PET core. Finally, the performance of panels was evaluated under three-point bending conditions. In this test series, while the sandwich panels' main failure mechanism is top facesheet buckling, traces of the proper adhesion formed between the foam core and facesheet were detected within the damaged surfaces.