Enhancing Impact Energy Absorption, Flexural and Crash Performance Properties of Automotive Composite Laminates by Adjusting the Stacking Sequences Layup

Hassan Alshahrani,Azzam Ahmed

doi:10.3390/polym13193404

Hassan Alshahrani, Azzam Ahmed

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13193404

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Abstract

In response to the high demand for light automotive, manufacturers are showing a vital interest in replacing heavy metallic components with composite materials that exhibit unparalleled strength-to-weight ratios and excellent properties. Unidirectional carbon/epoxy prepreg was suitable for automotive applications such as the front part of the vehicle (hood) due to its excellent crash performance. In this study, UD carbon/epoxy prepreg with 70% and 30% volume fraction of reinforcement and resin, respectively, was used to fabricate the composite laminates. The responses of different three stacking sequences of automotive composite laminates to low-velocity impact damage and flexural and crash performance properties were investigated. Three-point bending and drop-weight impact tests were carried out to determine the flexural modulus, strength, and impact damage behavior of selected materials. Optical microscopy analysis was used to identify the failure modes in the composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and C-scan non-destructive methods were utilized to explore the fractures in the composites after impact tests. Moreover, the performance index and absorbed energy of the tested structures were studied. The results showed that the flexural strength and modulus of automotive composite laminates strongly depended on the stacking sequence. The highest crash resistance was noticed in the laminate with a stacking sequence of [[0, 90, 45, −45]2, 0, 90]S. Therefore, the fabrication of a composite laminate structure enhanced by selected stacking sequences is an excellent way to improve the crash performance properties of automotive composite structures.

Highlights

Advancement in technology is pushing the automotive industry to another level to produce automobiles at low cost without compromising structural integrity, weight carrying capacity, and speed
The load–displacement curves obtained for analysis of the flexural strength and modulus of the composite laminates are shown in Figures 4 and 5
The current study looked into the flexural properties, low-velocity impact tests, and damage characterization using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), C-scan, and optical microscopy

Summary

Introduction

Advancement in technology is pushing the automotive industry to another level to produce automobiles at low cost without compromising structural integrity, weight carrying capacity, and speed. The industry has settled on the ideology that composite materials exhibit unparalleled strength-to-weight ratios and excellent properties, making them the prime choice for manufacturing composite structures [1,2,3]. Composite materials are essentially made up of several materials with various chemical and physical properties. From this fusing effect, the resulting structure differs significantly compared to individual component properties. There has been growing interest in using carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites for structural parts in automotive research on the role of stacking sequences on the flexural and impact damage of the composite conducted. Compared to metal alloys and metal, the resulting product has a higher strength-to-weight ratio that is less susceptible to fatigue and corrosion

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Conclusion