High-velocity impact damage and compression after impact behavior of carbon fiber composite laminates: Experimental study

Abstract

In this paper, the impact resistance of carbon fiber/resin composite laminates with a thickness of 2.5 mm at different impact velocities, angles and positions was investigated experimentally. In the process of high-velocity impact, fiber shear failure and tension failure are the main failure modes. When the impact velocity is 300 m/s, the fiber tension failure and matrix compression failure under oblique impact are more than that under normal impact, and the energy absorption of laminates is also lager than that under normal impact. The ballistic limits, energy absorption and delamination area of the center and edge impact of laminate are similar. In addition, the CAI tests are conducted to study the influence of different positions on the residual compressive strength of laminates after high-velocity impact, and the fracture loads and failure modes of two impact positions are quite different. The failure modes of the center impact laminate are main buckling failure, and the failure modes of the edge impact laminate are compression failure near the bullet hole side of the fixture and buckling failure near the center of the laminate. The research results can provide a reference for the residual strength of laminates after impact at different locations in practical situations.