Degradation mechanisms of balsa wood and PVC foam sandwich core composites due to freeze/thaw exposure in saline solution

Structural engineers commonly use balsa wood and PVC foam as core materials for sandwich composite structures. These structures are frequently exposed to thermal cycling in sea water. The long-term performance and damage mechanism of these composite sandwich structures under such environmental conditions are still unclear. To simulate these effects, sandwich panels using balsa wood (SB100) and foam core (Airex C70.55) with fiber glass/vinyl...