6 - Impact damage analysis of hybrid composite materials

Abstract

The damage that composite structures sustain on impacts is critical, because adverse effects of impact restrict a more far-reaching use of composite materials. As the use of hybrid composites increases, knowledge about damage to composite structures is urgently required. Composite structures have excellent energy-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios; however, due to the fact that they are laminar structures with susceptible interfaces, they are vulnerable to impact loading. This could cause invisible cracks and delaminations in the material, and these might be exceptionally hard to locate and inspect. Knowledge about deformation and damage mechanisms is important in the effective design of a composite structure, as failures created by impact damage may play a role in adverse situations. This chapter discusses impact damage and nondestructive techniques to examine the damage.