An assessment of the impact performance of CFRP reinforced with high-strain carbon fibres

Abstract

Carbon fibre composites containing Hercules AS4 high-strain carbon fibres in 3501·6 epoxy resin were subjected to low velocity impact. Damage development was assessed by means of ultrasonic C-scanning, optical microscopy and penetrant-enhanced X-radiography. Coupons were cut from sixteen-ply (o°, ±45°) panels, damaged by drop weight impact, and residual tensile and compressive strengths were measured. Damage size was significantly less than that observed in CFRP reinforced with standard high-strain carbon fibres. This resulted in an improvement of up to 100% in the residual tensile strength and 30% in the residual compressive strength. The implication of the results on the application of high-strain carbon fibre composites in high-performance applications is discussed.