Projectile Impact Behavior of Z-Fiber Reinforced Laminar Composites

Abstract

The bending toughness, strength retention, resistance to damage and bending stiffness of glass fiber mat, laminar composites under high strain rate impact loading conditions was studied. One of the main disadvantages of laminar composite materials is their poor interlaminar shear strength. Recent work has demonstrated a method of Z-direction reinforcement of these composites using electrostatic flocking techniques improve delamination resistance and fracture toughness without degrading the composites tensile strength or other in-plane properties when loaded quasi-statically. The Z-direction reinforcement is accomplished by electrostatically flocking short fibers perpendicular to and between the composite ply layers. In this study, composite samples were prepared using the flocking method in two fabrication modes by the; so-called Z-Axis wet and Z-Axis dry procedures. In this work, Z-direction reinforced composite panels (including a non reinforced control) that were previously projectile impact damaged were tested using established mechanical testing procedures. Damage areas were quantified and compared using image processing techniques. Three point bending tests were also conducted on these projectile impact damaged panels to determine and compare their bending toughness, strength retention and modulus. The results show that Z-Axis reinforcement by the flocking technique improves the overall mechanical strength and stiffness properties of glass fiber mat laminar composites. For example, Z-Axis reinforced projectile damaged and not damaged glass fiber mat composite laminates are found to have flexural strengths 9% to 15% higher and a flexural modulus (stiffness) 22% to 26% higher than comparable (not Z-Axis flock reinforced) glass fiber mat samples.