Z-pinned laminates and sandwich materials are an important class of composites with current applications in aircraft and emerging uses in other light-weight engineered products. This paper reviews research advances in the manufacture, microstructural chacterisation, mechanical properties, environmental durability and other functional properties (e.g. electrical, thermal, damage sensing) of z-pinned composite materials and structures. The review reveals that z-pins can be used in create novel multifunctional laminates that uniquely combine a multitude of important properties including high interlaminar fracture and fatigue resistance, superior impact damage tolerance, increased thermal and electrical conductivities, damage sensing, and high-performance joining. Similarly, z-pins can impart sandwich composites with a novel combination of multifunctional properties that include high structural, damage tolerance, electrical and damage sensing properties. Research gaps in our understanding of z-pinned laminates and sandwich composites are identified. Future research opportunities to create next-generation z-pinned materials with even more versatile multifunctional properties are described.

Z钉层合物和三明治材料是一类重要的复合材料，目前在飞机上的应用以及在其他轻型工程产品中的新兴应用。本文综述了Z钉复合材料和结构在制造，微结构化，机械性能，环境耐久性和其他功能特性（例如电学，热学，损伤感测）方面的研究进展。审查表明，z-pins可用于制造新颖的多功能层压板，这些层压板独特地结合了多种重要特性，包括高层间断裂和疲劳强度，优异的冲击损伤耐受性，更高的导热性和导电性，损伤感测和高性能连接。同样，z销可以赋予夹心复合材料多种功能的新颖组合，其中包括高结构性，损伤耐受性，电学和损伤感测性能。确定了我们对z钉层压板和三明治复合材料的理解方面的研究空白。描述了创建具有更多用途的多功能特性的下一代z钉扎材料的未来研究机会。