Woven and Unidirectional Glass-Aluminium Fibre Metal Laminates (FML): Quasi-Static Indentation Properties

Abstract

In this study, the effect of fibre arrangement and aluminium thin sheet on quasi-static indentation properties of fibre metal laminates (FML) based on glass fibre reinforced polymer composite (GFRP) and Aluminium (Al) was investigated. The woven and unidirectional types of glass fibre prepreg and 0.5mm, 1mm and 2 mm of Al sheet thickness were used in the fabrication of Glass fibre-Al FML systems. The GFRP and FML samples were fabricated using a combination of hand lay–up and hot press methods. Quasi-static indentation test was performed according to ASTM D6264. The results showed that the woven type of GFRP and FMLs exhibited the highest energy absorption as compared to those of unidirectional of GFRP and FMLs. It was observed that for the woven type specimens of GFRP and FMLs, the matrix cracking and fibre breakage/delamination triggered in weft and wrap direction, which showed diamond-shaped damage. While the damage surface of unidirectional GFRP and FMLs showed single axis orientation damage type that lateral with the direction of the fibre namely fibre splitting mechanism. The FML2 systems for both woven and unidirectional, that used 2mm thickness of Al, demonstrated the highest energy absorption when compared to the other FML systems. This shows that FMLs absorbed more energy when thicker Al sheet was used.