Abstract
The main aim of this study is to investigate the Impact properties of Epoxy matrix composites by a drop weight impact tester using spherical steel projectile with five different ranges of heights. Three different types of reinforcement were used in the experimental works: woven glass, woven glass+carbon, unidirectional carbon. This study showed that reinforcing epoxy with unidirectional and woven carbon and glass improves the impact properties. Minimum deformation and maximum force and energy were in woven glass reinforced epoxy, while unidirectional carbon reinforcement showed low impact energy absorption and high deformation and failure in a very short time compared with others due to susceptibility to impact damage while the impact strength of hybrid carbon+glass is higher than carbon composites because glass fibers add additional resistance to impact and damage.
Highlights
Fiber-reinforced laminated composite materials find a wide range of engineering applications such as: aerospace, transportation, construction Due to low weight, high specific stiffness and strength
Maximum force and energy were in Woven Glass reinforced energy (WG), while unidirectional carbon reinforcement showed low impact energy absorption and high deformation and failure in a very short time compared with others due to susceptibility to impact damage while the impact strength of hybrid carbon + glass is higher than carbon composites because glass fibers add additional resistance to impact and damage
During the test when the impact energy was increased by increasing impact falling height the relationships of force-time, force-deformation, forceenergy and energy-time were obtained from experimental data as follows: Impact force-time behavior: Figure 3 shows the impact force-time results of the composites used in this study when deformed from impact falling heights: 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000 mm, where it can be see the minimum force were in the epoxy without any reinforcement and maximum force were in Woven Glass reinforced energy (WG) these results agree with Bajpai et al (2002) they found that the samples
Summary
Fiber-reinforced laminated composite materials find a wide range of engineering applications such as: aerospace, transportation, construction Due to low weight, high specific stiffness and strength. In research work of Sutherland and Guedes Soares (2005) drop-weight impact tests have been carried out for low fiber-volume glass-polyester laminates for a range of diameter to thickness ratios. They showed that an energy balance approach gives good correlation between impact force and incident energy. The experimental test series showed an increased deflection for glass composite plates, which lead to a higher extent of material damage compared to the carbon fiber, laminates plates with de laminations as one important energy absorption mechanism. The data recorded are the history of the impactor force, energy, displacement and velocity where the impactor moved down at a specific velocity Special impact equipment consisting of vertically falling impactor and was used in the test (Fig. 2)
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