Composite Laminates Research Articles

Micromechanics-based multi-scale framework with strain-rate effects for the simulation of ballistic impact on composite laminates

The performance of composite materials and structures at high-velocity impacts reaching or exceeding their ballistic limit is crucial for assessing their strength and safety in aerospace applications. In this highly transient impact regime, composite materials are subject to multiple complex failure modes and their properties are susceptible to strain rate effects, making very challenging the simulation and understanding of their ballistic impact performance. This study presents: (1) a multi-scale computational framework for predicting the ballistic limit of composite plates, and (2) experimental results of ballistic impacts on carbon/epoxy plates. The multi-scale model uses a micromechanical approach to account for strain-rate dependency, to calculate micro-stress effects on the matrix and fiber properties, and to predict their coupled effect on effective composite properties. Intralaminar damage initiation and evolution are identified using the maximum stress criterion, but the degradation of properties in the matrix and fibers is predicted with the micromechanics model. Mixed-mode damage laws are implemented to simulate delamination, which guarantees accurate and reliable results. The proposed multi-scale model has been implemented and integrated into ABAQUS/Explicit (VUMAT). Experimental results from high-velocity steel ball impacts on woven IM-65 Carbon/RTM6 epoxy composite plates conducted on a high-speed impact test bench are also presented including non-destructive evaluation of the types of damage and failure. The experimental results are finally used to validate the model predictions for the ballistic limit and the predicted types of damage and failure.

Experimental and Simulation Study on Failure of Thermoplastic Carbon Fiber Composite Laminates under Low-Velocity Impact.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that under low-velocity, low-energy impact conditions, although the surface damage to fiber-reinforced composite laminates may be minimal, significant internal damage can occur. Consequently, a progressive damage finite element model was specifically developed for thermoplastic carbon fiber-reinforced composite laminates subjected to low-speed impact loads, with the objective of analyzing the damage behavior of laminates under impacts of varying energy levels. The model utilizes a three-dimensional Hashin criterion for predicting intralayer damage initiation, with cohesive elements based on bilinear traction-separation law for predicting interlaminar delamination initiation, and incorporates a damage constitutive model based on equivalent displacement to characterize fiber damage evolution, along with the B-K criterion for interlaminar damage evolution. The impact response of laminates at energy levels of 5 J, 10 J, 15 J, 20 J, and 25 J was analyzed through numerical simulation, drop-hammer experiments, and XCT non-destructive testing. The results indicated that the simulation outcomes closely correspond with the experimental findings, with both the predicted peak error and absorbed energy error maintained within a 5% margin, and the trends of the mechanical response curves aligning closely with the experimental data. The damage patterns predicted by the numerical simulations were consistent with the results obtained from XCT scans. The study additionally revealed that the impact damage of the laminates primarily stems from interlaminar delamination and intralayer tensile failure. Initial damage typically presents as internal delamination; hence, enhancing interlaminar bonding performance can significantly augment the overall load-bearing capacity of the laminate.

Structural Health Monitoring of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Laminates with Carbon Nanotube-Coated Glass Fiber Sensing Layer after Low-Velocity Impact Using Electrical Resistance Tomography

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of composite materials is of great significance in various practical applications. However, it is a challenge to accurately monitor the damage of composites without affecting their mechanical properties. In this paper, an embedded sensing layer based on carbon nanotube-coated glass fiber is designed, combined with electrical resistance tomography (ERT) for in situ damage monitoring. Multi-wall carbon nanotube-coated glass fiber (MWCNT-GF) is prepared and embedded into laminates as an in situ sensing layer. Low-velocity impact experiments demonstrate that the embedded sensing layer has high compatibility with the composite laminates and has no adverse effect on its impact response; although, the energy absorption behavior of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminates containing MWCNT-GF occurs about 10% earlier than that of GFRP laminates overall. ERT technology is used to analyze the laminates after a low-velocity impact test. The results show that the in situ monitoring method with the embedded MWCNT-GF sensing layer can achieve high precision in imaging localization of impact damage, and the error of the detected damage area is only 4.5%.

Research on defect identification of carbon fiber composite materials based on ultrasonic phased array

AbstractIt is more and more difficult to identify defects in carbon fiber composite materials due to the difficulty in making defect samples and the single signal analysis method. In order to better solve the problem of defect identification in carbon fiber composite materials, this study uses ultrasonic phased array equipment to quantitatively locate and detect carbon fiber composite laminates with embedded delamination defects, so as to more intuitively and effectively display the appearance of different delamination defects. The time domain analysis of the collected ultrasonic original signal and the time‐frequency domain analysis using wavelet packet are carried out. A total of 6 eigenvalues were extracted to reflect the ultrasonic signals of different delamination defects. By using genetic algorithm to optimize BP neural network, the recognition accuracy of delamination defects of different sizes is more than 95%, and the recognition accuracy of delamination defects of different depths is 100%, so as to realize the effective intelligent recognition of delamination defects of different sizes and depths of carbon fiber composites. This study is of great significance to improve the accuracy and reliability of defect identification of carbon fiber composite materials.Highlights The ultrasonic phased array equipment is used to quantitatively locate the carbon fiber composite laminates with embedded delamination defects, so that the appearance of different defects can be displayed more intuitively and effectively. Using time domain analysis and time‐frequency domain analysis based on wavelet packet, the combination of the two can more comprehensively extract the effective features of the defect signal. The BP neural network is optimized by genetic algorithm, and the results can effectively and automatically identify different layered defects, which lays a good foundation for the rapid and accurate identification of more defects in the future.

A simplified approach for predicting last ply failure load of VO-notched laminated composite components

In this study, the last ply failure (LPF) load of composite laminates with VO-notches under pure mode I and mixed mode I/II was investigated experimentally, analytically, and numerically. The efficiency of the virtual isotropic material concept (VIMC) in combination with a new combined failure criterion was also evaluated. The J-integral and average strain energy density failure criteria were combined with VIMC. Using analytical expressions for the J-integral and the average strain energy density (ASED), the prediction of the fracture load of notched components was simplified and expedited. The experimental fracture loads of notched specimens were determined for quasi-isotropic and cross-ply laminates under mode I and mixed mode I/II. The fracture loads were predicted using analytical expressions for the J-integral and ASED, combined with VIMC. The VIMC-ASED and VIMC-J-integral failure criteria demonstrated good accuracy in predicting the LPF, with the highest accuracy for mode I, slightly reduced accuracy for mixed mode I/II. VIMC, in combination with energy-based failure criteria, effectively predicts the fracture load. The use of analytical expressions further simplified and expedited the prediction process without losing accuracy, making it a practical approach for engineering applications. Additionally, this approach significantly reduces the time and cost associated with extensive experimental testing.

Experimental and numerical analysis of ballistic impat and material characterization of GFRP and Kevlar 29/epoxy composite laminate

Through experimental testing and numerical simulations, this study examines the effects of ballistic events on thin FRP composite laminated plates fabricated using a hand lay-up method. Experimental ballistic impact tests using a pneumatic gun are conducted on composite plates reinforced with woven glass and woven Kevlar 29 fibers. An advanced three-dimensional finite element model programed in Ansys/Autodyn v19.1 is employed to verify the experimental findings and analyze the ballistic perforation characteristics of the target. The crucial material constants needed for the constitutive material model used in the simulation are acquired through precise experimentation on samples prepared from the fabricated laminates. Significant agreement is observed between the FE simulations and experimental findings, particularly concerning the assessment of residual velocities of the projectile and damage pattern in the laminates. The results of this study show that when subjected to ballistic impact by a flat-ended cylindrical projectile, the thin woven FRP composite primarily experiences damage characterized by delamination, fiber breakage and matrix cracking. Additionally, based on current simulations, it is observed that the ballistic limit velocity of the Kevlar 29/epoxy laminate exceeds that of GFRP by 25.64% when both materials have an equal thickness of 2.8 mm.

Off-axis mechanical behavior and dynamic characteristics of UHMWPE composite laminates

An understanding of the off-axis mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) cross-ply laminates subjected to quasi-static and dynamic loadings is developed, with focus on the influence of off-axis angle and strain rate. For off-axis tension, UHMWPE laminates exhibit polymer shear response characteristics. An orientation-hardening phenomenon is captured, as fiber rotation leads to local increment of load capacity along the loading orientation. The failure strength presents an evidentially descending trend with off-axis angle from 0° to 45°. A non-monotonic variation of strength with strain rate is further observed: increasing with strain rate up to 500 s−1 but decreasing above, which is attributed to failure mode switching from plastic failure to brittle failure. The Tsai-Wu failure criterion, on homogenized cross-ply laminae, is experimentally modified with rate dependence. Further investigation on detailed information of the unidirectional properties should be conducted with the backing-out scheme to establish unidirectional failure criterion.

Modelling of Bond Formation during Overprinting of PEEK Laminates.

The rapid technological progress of large-scale CNC (computer numerical control) systems for Screw Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (SEAM) has made the overprinting of composite laminates a much-discussed topic. It offers the potential to efficiently produce functionalised high-performance structures. However, bonding the 3D-printed structure to the laminate has proven to be a critical point. In particular, the bonding mechanisms must be precisely understood and controlled to ensure in situ bonding. This work investigates the applicability of healing models from 3D printing to the overprinting of thermoplastic laminates using semi-crystalline, high-performance material like PEEK (polyether ether ketone). For this purpose, a simulation methodology for predicting the bonding behaviour is developed and tested using experimental data from a previous study. The simulation consists of a transient heat analysis and a diffusion healing model. Using this model, a qualitative prediction of the bond strength could be made by considering the influence of wetting. It was shown that the thermal history of the interface and, in particular, the tolerance of the deposition of the first layer are decisive for in situ bonding. The results show basic requirements for future process and component developments and should further advance the maturation of overprinting.

Study of Design and Analysis of S-glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Polymer Metal Laminate Composites in the Application of Propeller Shafts

The propeller shafts are utilized to transmit power from gear box to rear wheels in automobiles. It is found that the weight, cost, critical speed and buckling of shafts are the serious issues in conventional metallic propeller shafts. The propeller shafts made up of composite material are best suited for LMV due to single piece manufacturing. The fiber metal laminate propeller shafts are getting popular as the metal liner adds extra strength, rigidity and acts as a substrate and avoids leaking during manufacturing. The propeller shaft of light motor vehicle was selected for study. S-glass fibers, epoxy and a thin mild steel liner are the materials chosen. The design of the shaft was carried out according to ASME Standard code of design. The ply orientation and stacking sequence are selected as [±45°, 0°, 90°], to increase the torsional strength, enhance natural frequency and buckling strength respectively. The finite element analysis of the propeller shaft is carried out in Ansys APDL. It is found from the analysis that the weight, torsional strength, torsional stiffness and natural frequency of the S-glass fiber reinforced Epoxy Metal Laminate (FML) composites are superior than the conventional C-35 alloy steel material, and hence can be an alternative to the conventional alloy steel shaft.

Comparison of single- and hybrid-fiber composite laminates for use in prosthetic sockets

Traditional prosthetic sockets often consist of thermoplastic and wood-based materials. However, these sockets are known to be uncomfortable, heavy, and economically challenging. Natural fibers are quickly adapting and becoming more popular because of their biodegradable, long-lasting, and biocompatible nature. They are replacing synthetic fibers in the design and development of structural parts. This research looked into a new hybrid composite made of natural and synthetic fibers (basalt, jute, and carbon) that are reinforced in a polyester thermoset based matrix. The performance of this hybrid composite was then compared to that of pristine or single fiber-reinforced composites manufactured using woven jute, basalt, and carbon. The samples were manufactured using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding technique and cured at room temperature. The samples were then subjected to flexure and impact tests. The hybrid composite had an impact strength of 46.71 kJ/m2, higher than all other single fiber combinations. The flexural strength of the hybrid composite was determined to be 66.25 MPa, matching that of basalt fiber and surpassing that of other conventional single fiber composite laminates. Fractographic analysis has revealed that the main cause of failure in flexure is mostly attributed to delamination and fiber micro-buckling. Although hybrid reinforced composites had superior performance in terms of both impact and flexure strength, basalt fibers demonstrated comparable strength, specifically in flexure. Overall, the hybrid composite possesses exceptional promise for use in prosthetic construction.

Nonlinear effect on stable state and snap-through bistability of square composite laminate

Bistable structures with the elastic instability caused by buckling are confirmed to perform significantly in micro-electromechanical systems, metamaterials, energy harvester, vibration isolation and morphing structures. The target of this paper is to explore the dynamic responses of cross-ply bistable composite laminate, focusing on the nonlinear effect of the single- and double-well vibration. Both theoretical and finite element (FE) methods are employed to simulate the nonlinear vibration and dynamic snap-through of bistable composite laminate under the foundation excitation at the center. In the theoretical model, the governing equations are established via Lagrange's equation based on the first-order shear deformation theory, von Karman nonlinear strain-displacement relation and Rayleigh-Ritz method. The fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is adopted to solve the governing equations, and the numerical results are validated by FE model. Subsequently, the details of the dynamic responses are analyzed to identify the nonlinear effects in the form of bifurcation diagram, phase portrait, time history, Poincare maps and amplitude spectrum. The dynamic responses are examined for a series of excitation parameters in both time and frequency domain. Through fixed frequency and frequency sweep tests, the nonlinear phenomenon of the single- and double-well vibrations are analyzed including superharmonic resonance, stiffness softening, hysteresis phenomenon, various periodic and chaotic vibration. The diverse responses to external inputs contribute significantly to efficiently predicting mechanical behaviors in real-world conditions, thereby offering indispensable theoretical support for structural design applications.

Fabrication and thermoelectric properties of multilayer textured Sr-doped Ca3Co4O9/Ag laminar composites

This work presents a comparative analysis of pure and Ag-intercalated Ca3Co4O9 multilayer thermoelectric materials prepared through the hot-uniaxial pressing technique. Samples were prepared by attrition milling and hot-pressed at 900 °C and 55 MPa for 1 h. They were mirror polished, and some of them were stacked with and without intermediate Ag foil and hot-pressed again at 900 °C and 52 MPa for 1 h. Out-of-plane XRD showed that samples are nearly single-phase, and the grains are well oriented with their ab-plane perpendicular to the pressure direction. Microstructural studies confirmed perfect welding in the multilayer samples accompanied by the formation of a very thin layer containing larger grains and notable Ag diffusion close to the Ca3Co4O9/Ag interface. Three-point bending stresses have been increased in Ag-containing samples, while microhardness has been raised in all samples hot-pressed twice. Thermoelectric measurements showed a decrease of thermal gradient along the Ag-containing sample, together with a drastic decrease of electrical resistivity when compared to the Ag-free ones. However, the Ag-layers have promoted a drastic decrease in the Seebeck coefficient, reflected in a notable reduction of the power factor of Ca3Co4O9/Ag multilayer composites. Nevertheless, these results show that it is possible to use these materials to reduce Joule heating and increasing the compatibility with the welding compounds when building thermoelectric modules. Moreover, they open a new research line searching for larger S compounds to be intercalated with Ag foils.

A dual resin application system for improved bamboo-wood bonding

In this work, a dual resin application system using commercial phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins with different molecular weight (MW) was investigated to improve bonding performance of bamboo and wood composite laminates. Water droplet contact angle was deemed to be unreliable for assessing resin wettability on bamboo due to its unique tissue structure compared with wood. Microscopic observation of the resin penetration showed high MW PF largely remained in the glueline and only entered the lumens of cut or damaged bamboo cells near the bondline. Low MW PF appeared in cell corners of bamboo parenchyma but not lumens. Applying low MW PF to the bamboo and high MW PF to the wood surface separately significantly improved bond shear strength with reduced difference between dry and wet conditions. The dry and wet bond strengths using the new method were enhanced by 36.5 % and 97.4 %, respectively, compared to high MW PF alone. The results suggest that low MW PF can permeate bamboo cell walls and fortify them against swelling and stress on the bamboo-resin interface in wet conditions. Further modifications are required to produce a stronger adhesive than the bamboo tissue to improve wet shear fiber failure rates and develop a viable structural bond qualification test for bamboo and bamboo-wood composites.

Parametric Analysis of Critical Buckling in Composite Laminate Structures under Mechanical and Thermal Loads: A Finite Element and Machine Learning Approach.

This research focuses on investigating the buckling strength of thin-walled composite structures featuring various shapes of holes, laminates, and composite materials. A parametric study is conducted to optimize and identify the most suitable combination of material and structural parameters, ensuring the resilience of structure under both mechanical and thermal loads. Initially, a numerical approach employing the finite element method is used to design the C-section thin-walled composite structure. Later, various structural and material parameters like spacing ratio, opening ratio, hole shape, fiber orientation, and laminate sequence are systematically varied. Subsequently, simulation data from numerous cases are utilized to identify the best parameter combination using machine learning algorithms. Various ML techniques such as linear regression, lasso regression, decision tree, random forest, and gradient boosting are employed to assess their accuracy in comparison with finite element results. As a result, the simulation model showcases the variation in critical buckling load when altering the structural and material properties. Additionally, the machine learning models successfully predict the optimal critical buckling load under mechanical and thermal loading conditions. In summary, this paper delves into the study of the stability of C-section thin-walled composite structures with holes under mechanical and thermal loading conditions using finite element analysis and machine learning studies.

On the Cover: Test Setup for Investigating the Impact Behavior of Biaxially Prestressed Composite Laminates

On the Cover: Test Setup for Investigating the Impact Behavior of Biaxially Prestressed Composite Laminates

Negative Poisson's ratio can enhance stability of layered composite structures

Composite laminates with negative Posson's ratios (i.e., auxetic composite laminates) were experimentally found to demonstrate a three-fold increase in buckling strength under uniaxial compression in comparison with the equivalent non-auxetic ones. To investigate whether the enhancement is genuinely due to the negative Poisson's ratio (i.e., the auxeticity) or merely caused by the concurrent change in the bending stiffness matrix as the composite layup changes, a novel monoclinic plate-based composite laminate approach is proposed, which for the first time, allows to isolate the auxeticity effect from the concurrent change of the stiffness matrix. Results provided theoretical proof that the auxeticity plays an active role in enhancing the critical buckling strength of layered composite structure. However, such a role is dynamically sensitive to elements in the bending stiffness matrix, especially the bending-twisting ratio and the anisotropy of the bending stiffness between the longitudinal and lateral directions. Insights are expected to provide guidance in exploiting negative Poisson's ratio for improving the stability of layered composite structures.

Combined computational-experimental investigation of residual stresses and pre-cracking in mode I behaviour of thick adhesively bonded GFRP composite joints

This paper presents a novel Finite Element (FE) simulation approach to examine the mode I fracture of thick adhesive joints used particularly in the trailing edge of the wind turbine blades. The approach involved FE models of the DCB specimens focusing on aspects overlooked in the existing literature. There has been limited investigation on residual stresses caused by thermal mismatch between composites and adhesives. Similarly, the impact of generating notches/pre-cracks in the adhesive layer during the preparation of Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens on residual stresses has received minimal attention. Additionally, the Cohesive Zone Model, commonly used for simulating elastoplastic adhesives, may be inadequate due to its inability to account for the plastic deformation of the adhesive. In the present work, the pre-cracks were virtually generated in DCB FE models so that their effect on the stresses within the joint could be examined, making it a novel contribution to the field. The components were assigned with appropriate thermal expansion coefficients, and a simulation of the cool-down process was conducted to determine the thermal residual stresses. Furthermore, the Drucker-Prager plasticity criteria were used to capture the elastoplastic behaviour of adhesives in the FE simulations. Concurrently, the T-stresses were assessed through numerical investigations. For validation, experiments were conducted on DCB specimens made of two cross-ply composite laminates bonded with a ∼ 10 mm thick layer of an epoxy-based adhesive. A good agreement between computational and experimental results was observed, confirming the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach.

Low velocity impact study of vacuum bag infused bouligand inspired composites

AbstractThis work proposes three Bouligand‐inspired layups to enhance low velocity impact (LVI) damage resistance and tolerance of convectional aircraft composite laminates. Two Bouligand‐like (HL and HL_S) and one hybrid design layup, merging conventional and Bouligand architecture (HYB), were produced by vacuum bag infusion. Their performance under LVI, at 13.5, 25 and 40 (J), and compression after impact (CAI) tests were evaluated and compared with a conventional aircraft multidirectional layup (LS) produced under identical conditions. Results demonstrated that, especially for the higher impact energy levels, both Bouligand‐like laminates consistently outperformed all the other configurations, exhibiting higher load bearing capacity (peak load) and energy absorption. Additionally, the rough and poorly defined interlaminar region of Bouligand‐like layups have showed to delay severe damage for higher loads and energies, dissipating all (at 13.5 J) or most of the impact energy (more than 50%) through subcritical damage mechanisms. Compared with LS laminate, Bouligand‐inspired layups postponed the onset of severe damage thresholds by up to 120% in load and 66% in energy (HL laminate) while developing smaller and more localized damages. The high number of fibers aligned in the loading direction of LS laminate led to better damage tolerance.Highlights Vacuum bag infused Bouligand‐like laminates consistently demonstrated superior performance than the conventional aircraft multidirectional layup, exhibiting higher load bearing capacity and energy absorption, particularly at higher impact energy levels; The rough and poorly defined interlaminar region observed in both Bouligand‐like layups demonstrated to play an essential role in the efficiency of damage mechanisms, dissipating all (at low impact energy levels) or more than 50% of impact energy on subcritical damages, such as translaminar matrix cracking; Compared with the conventional layup, HL Bouligand‐like laminate postponed 120% and 66% load and energy severe damage onset thresholds; The high number of fibers aligned in the loading direction of LS laminate led to better damage tolerance, despite the larger damaged areas observed.

Using acoustic emission technique for structural health monitoring of laminate composite: A novel CNN-LSTM framework

This research has developed a real-time end-to-end deep learning model for structural health monitoring (SHM) method for composite impact damage diagnosis based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The acoustic emission (AE) signals collected under low-velocity impacts by means of piezoelectric sensors on composite materials are used for training deep learning networks. Based on the impact load curves, specimens are categorized into minor failure, intermediate failure, and severe failure. The convolved signals are segmented and reconstructed at a given length for the following LSTM module. The average accuracies for basic CNN, CNN– Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), CNN-LSTM, and CNN– Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) are respectively 88.7 %, 92.6 %, 98 %, and 95.4 %. A sensitivity analysis on sub-signal length was conducted on the CNN-LSTM model, revealing that the model achieved its best performance when the sub-signal length was set at 16. The model attained prediction accuracies of 97.4 %, 100 %, and 100 %, respectively, for minor failure, intermediate failure, and severe failure cases.

Numerical studies of one-way Lamb and SH mixing method in composite laminates with transverse-isotropic quadratic nonlinearity

Abstract The resonant behavior of one-way Lamb and SH (shear horizontal) mixing method in composite laminates with transverse-isotropic quadratic nonlinearity is investigated through numerical simulations in this paper. Different from previous studies, the composite constitutive model is combined from orthotropic elasticity and transverse-isotropic quadratic nonlinearity, which is implemented by ABAQUS/VUMAT subroutine. When two fundamental waves (S 0-mode Lamb waves and SH 0 waves) mix in composite laminates with quadratic nonlinearity, the resonant SH 0 waves can be generated with the resonance condition ω S 0 /ω SH 0 = 2 κ/(κ + 1). Meanwhile, the relationships between the acoustic nonlinear parameter (ANP) and damage degree, fundamental frequency, frequency deviation, propagation distance are also investigated. Moreover, the method of locating the damage region in composite laminates is proposed and verified by using the resonant wave time-domain signal.