Abstract
Nondestructive and destructive testing are vital in the composite material industry to determine the mechanical properties of different designs. This paper presents a novel approach to measuring the mechanical peel strength that may be used for a variety of fiberglass foam core sandwiches. The objective of this study was to develop a testing method that was simple and easily reproduced in other laboratories. The goal was to measure the mechanical peel strength using a device that may be used for a variety of sample sizes and materials. An additional goal was to provide benchmark data on the mechanical peel strength of two particular composite designs. The new testing method may have applications to a wide range of composite structures, and it may eventually lead to a new ASTM standard.
