The low-velocity impact and post-impact properties of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fiber weft plain knitted structural composites

Cuiyu Li,Jingyan Jia,Rui Zhang,Yameng Shi,Gaopan Wang

doi:10.1177/1558925019832524

Cuiyu Li, Jingyan Jia + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/1558925019832524

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Abstract

This study investigated the impact and post-impact behavior of different layer weft plain knitted composite materials based on modified ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene/epoxy composites. The modified ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene weft plain knitted composites with 8, 12, 16 layers were prepared by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process and then subjected to impact and post-impact compression test. The impact properties were analyzed using the contact force–deflection and energy–time curves, and the post-impact compression was analyzed using the compression strength–strain curves. It can be obtained that the maximum contact force, absorbed energy, and residual compression strength after impact of the 16-layer specimen are 81.40%, 74.18%, and 73.25% more than those in the 8-layer specimen. respectively. According to the ultrasonic C-scan tests for the impact samples, the 16-layer specimen had the least damage area after the impact test, and the 8-layer composites damage area was 117.45% more than the 16-layer specimen.

Highlights

Composite materials have excellent specific mechanical properties due to their low density.[1,2,3,4,5] composite materials have been used in a wide range of applications such as the aerospace, automotive, defense, and sports industries.[6,7,8,9,10] Textile fabrics have long been known as ideal reinforcements for composite applications, due to their attractive intra- and inter-laminar strengths, damage tolerance, low cost, and versatile design potential.[11]
The test results of these impact and post-impact tests showed that the minimum contact force was observed in the eight layers of plain fabric, and the compression after impact (CAI) strength was reduced by increasing the impact energy
The ultrasonic C-scan damage image is the result of multilayer damage pattern superposition, which can be directly used to characterize the damage area, distribution, and expansion of the specimen

Summary

Introduction

Composite materials have excellent specific mechanical properties due to their low density.[1,2,3,4,5] composite materials have been used in a wide range of applications such as the aerospace, automotive, defense, and sports industries.[6,7,8,9,10] Textile fabrics have long been known as ideal reinforcements for composite applications, due to their attractive intra- and inter-laminar strengths, damage tolerance, low cost, and versatile design potential.[11]. The structure,[12] fiber volume fraction, plate dimension,[13,14] and number of fabric layers[15] of a composite have significant effects on the impact and compression after the impact behavior of composites. The test results of these impact and post-impact tests showed that the minimum contact force was observed in the eight layers of plain fabric, and the compression after impact (CAI) strength was reduced by increasing the impact energy.

Results

Conclusion