Influence of laminate thickness and impactor shape on low velocity impact response of jute-epoxy composite: FE study

Abstract

This paper aims at numerical and parametric investigation on the outcome of low velocity impact (LVI) response of jute/epoxy (JE) composite of varied thickness subjected to impact at varied velocity of impact within LVI regime using different shaped impactors. The JE composite laminate with varying thickness of 6 mm to 10 mm is subjected to LVI at impact velocity varying from 2 m per second (mps) to 8 mps using impactors of hemispherical (HS), flat (F) and conical (C) shapes. Modelling and simulation of the proposed JE composite laminate is achieved using explicit software available commercially with target as deformable material and the impactor as a rigid body. Simulations are carried out for available possible combination of thickness, impact velocity and impactor shapes. Results reveal that thickness is one of the crucial factors that decide the LVI response of the proposed composite laminate. Laminate impacted with conical shaped impactor results in maximum absorption of energy and the laminate impacted with flat shaped impactor results in bigger and immediate damage.