Analysis on low velocity impact damage of laminated composites toughened by structural toughening layer

Abstract

The intralaminar and interlaminar damages of U3160/ 3266 laminated composites toughened by polyamide nonwoven fabric (PNF) under low velocity impact are investigated through a numerical model which considers both the three-dimensional continuum damage mechanics (CDM) and the bilinear cohesive zone model (CZM). The analysis of the intralaminar damage is implemented by the ABAQUS/Explicit finite element code coupled with a user-defined subroutine VUMAT where the longitudinal failure, transverse matrix cracking, and nonlinear shear of the material are taken into account. Then the effects of the thickness and strength of PNF/3266 interlayer on the damage of composites are numerically analyzed. The results reveal that damage morphology can be simulated qualitatively compared to the experimental counterparts. With the decreasing interlayer thickness or the increasing interlayer strength, the damage area is effectively reduced. This work provides an effective model to predict the low velocity impact damage of composites, and is helpful for the optimization of interlayer toughened composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:1280-1291

Improving Interlaminar Fracture Toughness and Impact Performance of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Laminated Composite by Using Thermoplastic Fibers

“…Carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) laminated composites with light weight, good tensile performance, low cost, and ease of operation are widely used in various fields, including the automotive, aerospace, and petrochemical industries [1,2,3,4]. However, poor interlaminar strength is an inherent drawback of any laminated composite due to its low delamination resistance and damage tolerance, particularly under impact loading; this condition significantly reduces the load bearing capacity of laminated composites [5,6,7,8].…”

An experimental investigation on damage characteristics of laminated hybrid composites subjected to low velocity impact

“…This reveals the different damage modes and delamination areas presently obtained from this study. Similarly, Sun et al performed experimental and numerical studies to investigate the effects of interlayer toughening by polyamide nonwoven fabric (PNF) on damage characteristics of U3160/3266 laminated composites. It was indicated that damage area was significantly decreased with decreasing interlayer thickness or strength of toughened fiber.…”

Experimental and numerical studies on low‐velocity impact damage of composite laminates toughened by nickel‐coated carbon fiber veil

“…The mechanical parameters shown in Table 1 were obtained through standard testing methods, except for some lamina properties ( ν 12 , ν 23 , G 23 , S 23 , G ft , G fc , G mt , and G mc ) and interlaminar properties of Control ( E , G , , and ), which were cited from the literature. [ 33,35 ]…”

“…These constitutive models are briefly introduced in this study, and for more details, please refer to our previous work. [ 33 ] Intralaminar damage is implemented in the user subroutine VUMAT. The 3D Hashin failure criterion is employed to predict the damage initiation of various intralaminar damage modes, as described below.…”