Failure analysis of CFRP laminates subjected to compression after impact: FE simulation using discrete interface elements

This paper presents a model for the numerical simulation of impact damage, permanent indentation and compression after impact (CAI) in CFRP laminates. The same model is used for the formation of damage developing during both low-velocity/low-energy impact tests and CAI tests. The different impact and CAI elementary damage types are taken into account, i.e. matrix cracking, fiber failure and interface delamination. Experimental tests and model results are compared, and this comparison is used to highlight the laminate failure scenario during residual compression tests. Finally, the impact energy effect on the residual strength is evaluated and compared to experimental results.     

低速冲击下复合材料层板压缩许用值

为评估航空结构中常用的T300级和T800级2种碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料层压板的冲击后压缩许用值,对2种材料体系下具有不同厚度及铺层的层板进行了低速冲击和冲击后压缩试验;讨论了冲击能量、凹坑深度、损伤面积及冲击后剩余压缩强度等之间的关系,以及厚度、铺层、表面防护等因素对其造成的影响;重点关注了2种材料体系下各组层板的目视勉强可见冲击损伤(BVID)形成条件以及含BVID层板的剩余强度.结果表明:厚度及铺层对层板的凹坑深度-冲击能量关系影响较大,而对冲击后压缩强度-凹坑深度及冲击后压缩破坏应变-凹坑深度关系影响较小,且在相同铺层比例下,BVID对应的冲击能量随厚度近似呈线性增长.X850层板的损伤阻抗性能明显优于CCF300/5228层板的,但二者损伤容限性能相当.加铜网、涂漆等表面处理显著提高了层板的损伤阻抗,但对损伤容限性能影响不大;在损伤不超过BVID时,所有CCF300/5228试件的压缩破坏应变均大于4 000 με,而X850材料体系下压缩破坏应变均在3 000 με之上.     

压缩预应力对复合材料层板抗冲击损伤性能的影响

为确定压缩预应力对复合材料层板抗冲击损伤性能的影响,首先对不同压缩预应力下的碳纤维/双马树脂CCF300/5428层板进行了低速冲击和准静态压痕试验,然后通过热揭层和冲击后压缩试验分别得到了层板分层面积和剩余强度。结果表明:压缩预应力会大幅降低层板的接触刚度和弯曲刚度,从而导致相同冲击能量下层板凹坑深度和背部基体开裂长度增大;对于准静态压痕过程和相同冲击能量下的冲击过程,分层起始载荷和峰值载荷均随压缩预应力的增大而减小;在相同冲击能量下,随着压缩预应力的增大,层板内部分层总面积及冲击能量吸收比不断增大,剩余压缩强度不断降低。因此,压缩预应力会降低复合材料层板的冲击损伤阻抗,对损伤容限性能不利,在对承受压缩载荷结构的试验验证过程中应考虑压缩预应力对抗冲击损伤性能的影响。      

玻璃纤维/环氧乙烯基酯树脂复合材料的层间增韧及其低温下低速冲击性能

采用真空辅助成型工艺(VARI)制备了四种无纺布(聚酰胺(PA)、聚氨酯弹性体橡胶(TPU)、乙烯-醋酸乙烯共聚物(EVA)、共聚酯(PEs))层间改性的玻璃纤维/环氧乙烯基酯树脂(GF/EVER)复合材料层合板.在温度为20℃下进行落锤冲击实验,对比分析了不同层间改性的GF/EVER复合材料层合板的低速冲击响应特性和...     

带表面防护层复合材料层板的低速冲击及冲击后压缩性能试验研究

对增加了表面防护层的国产碳纤维/增韧环氧树脂CCF300/5228A层板的低速冲击及冲击后压缩性能进行了试验研究。通过落锤式低速冲击试验,得到了各组层板的冲击接触力历程、凹坑深度和内部分层面积等特征,而冲击后压缩试验结果可用来对各组层板的损伤容限性能进行评估。结果表明,同裸板相比,加了表面防护层的层板其分层起始载荷变化不大,但形成同样的1.0 mm凹坑所需的冲击能量增大了24%~46%。而对于内部分层,在一定的冲击能量范围下,加表面防护层的层板的C扫分层面积比裸板减小了20%~50%,而在同样凹坑深度的情况下,层板在加了表面防护层之后分层面积变化不大。冲击后压缩性能与内部分层情况具有较大的关联性,同样冲击能量下分层面积较小的各组带表面防护层板,其冲击后压缩强度和破坏应变相对于裸板的提高在15%~50%之间,而在凹坑深度相同的情况下,二者的冲击后压缩强度和破坏应变相差不大。     

The impact properties and damage tolerance and of bi-directionally reinforced fiber metal laminates

Fiber metal laminates are an advanced hybrid materials system being evaluated as a damage tolerance and light weight solution for future aircraft primary structures. This paper investigates the impact properties and damage tolerance of glass fiber reinforced aluminum laminates with cross-ply glass prepreg layers. A systematic low velocity impact testing program based on instrumented drop weight was conducted, and the characteristic impact energies, the damage area, and the permanent deflection of laminates are used to evaluate the impact performance and damage resistance. The post-impact residual tensile strength under various damage states ranging from the plastic dent, barely visible impact damage (BVID), clearly visible impact damage (CVID) up to the complete perforation was also measured and compared. Additionally, the post-impact fatigue behavior with different damage states was also explored. The results showed that both GLARE 4 and GLARE 5 laminates have better impact properties than those of 2024-T3 monolithic aluminum alloy. GLARE laminates had a longer service life than aluminum under fatigue loading after impact, and they did not show a sudden and catastrophic failure after the fatigue crack was initiated. The damage initiation, damage progression and failure modes under impact and fatigue loading were characterized and identified with microscopy, X-ray radiography, and by deply technique.     

Macroscale assessment of low-velocity impact on hybrid composite laminates

Composites are usually brittle materials and have low impact properties. Structural dimensions, stacking sequence, ply materials, ply thicknesses and ply angles are standard variables that influence composite‘s performance against impact loads. Stacking sequence in hybrid laminates affects the failure and impact resistance. Failure mechanisms at the low-velocity impact of a rigid object in hybrid laminates are complex, and the subsurface damage in a composite laminate cannot be detected directly. However, various simulation platforms make it easy to see the impact damage between the plies of laminate. This paper numerically investigated the effect of stack sequence and hybridization of two fiber types against low-velocity impact. The current study adopted four-layer composite laminates of carbon and glass fiber layers with a stacking plan [C/C/C/C], [C/G/C/G] and [G/C/G/C], having lay-up angles as [0°/45°/−45°/90°]. Keeping the impactor mass and the incident velocity constant, the laminates were subjected to low-velocity impact. The damage contours for a failure mode were recorded and compared at the ply level. The numerical study resulted in impact imitations showing comparisons of the damage contours using Hashin failure criteria. Hybrid laminates display better performance in absorbing impact energies; however, hybrid laminates experienced more subsurface damage due to more impact energy absorption.     

Impact resistance and tolerance of interleaved tape laminates

This paper presents and discusses the results of low-velocity impact and compression-after-impact (CAI) tests conducted on interleaved and non-interleaved carbon/epoxy tape laminates. Olefin film interleaves provided a strong interface bond, resulting in a reduction in projected damage area. These interleaves changed the stress distribution under impact and restricted delamination formation at the ply interface. An investigation into the compression behaviour of these laminates revealed a reduction in undamaged strength using olefin interleaves. This was attributed to the lack of lateral support for fibres at the fibre/interleaf interface, allowing fibre microbuckling to occur at a low load. Low modulus copolyamide web interleaves resulted in an increase in damage area and minor changes to CAI strength. Examination of laminate cross-sections revealed that this was due to both the open structure of the interleaf and poor resin/interleaf adhesion. High shear modulus polyethylene interleaves resulted in a significant decrease in damage area at various impact energies, with CAI strength improved compared to the non-interleaved laminates.     

Effects of Constituents and Lay-up Configuration on Drop-Weight Tests of Fiber-Metal Laminates

Impact responses and damage of various fiber-metal laminates were studied using a drop-weight instrument with the post-impact damage characteristics being evaluated through ultrasonic and mechanical sectioning techniques. The first severe failure induced by the low-velocity drop-weight impact occurred as delamination between the aluminum and fiber-epoxy layers at the non-impact side. It was followed by a visible shear crack in the outer aluminum layer on the non-impact face. Through-thickness shear cracks in the aluminum sheets and severe damage in the fiber laminated layers (including delamination between adjacent fiber-epoxy laminae with different fiber orientations) developed under higher energy impacts. The impact properties of fiber-metal laminates varied with different constituent materials and fiber orientations. Since it was punched through easily, the aramid-fiber reinforced fiber-metal laminates (ARALL) offered poorer impact resistance than the glass-fiber reinforced fiber-metal laminates (GLARE). Tougher and more ductile aluminum alloys improved the impact resistance. GLARE made of cross-ply prepregs provided better impact resistance than GLARE with unidirectional plies.     

Experimental investigation of low-velocity impact characteristics of woven glass fiber epoxy matrix composite laminates of EP3 grade

This work presents the results of an experimental investigation concerning the low-velocity impact behavior of woven glass fiber epoxy matrix composite laminates. Experimental test were performed according to ASTM standards using an instrumented falling weight impact testing machine. Impact test were conducted to characterize the type and extent of the damage observed in laminate for range of thickness subjected to different impact velocities. Correlation of the residual indentation of the impacted specimens provides a criterion for the extent of the damage. As the impact energy was increased, the samples experienced one of two types of damages: a crack from the center of the laminate to the edge, or significant damage consisting of a dent localized in the region of impact. The history of relevant kinematical, dynamic and energetic quantities, both to synthesize the dependency of the energy parameters and force threshold values on the impact velocity are discussed.     

Predicting low velocity impact damage and Compression-After-Impact (CAI) behaviour of composite laminates

Low-velocity impact damage can drastically reduce the residual strength of a composite structure even when the damage is barely visible. The ability to computationally predict the extent of damage and compression-after-impact (CAI) strength of a composite structure can potentially lead to the exploration of a larger design space without incurring significant time and cost penalties. A high-fidelity three-dimensional composite damage model, to predict both low-velocity impact damage and CAI strength of composite laminates, has been developed and implemented as a user material subroutine in the commercial finite element package, ABAQUS/Explicit. The intralaminar damage model component accounts for physically-based tensile and compressive failure mechanisms, of the fibres and matrix, when subjected to a three-dimensional stress state. Cohesive behaviour was employed to model the interlaminar failure between plies with a bi-linear traction–separation law for capturing damage onset and subsequent damage evolution. The virtual tests, set up in ABAQUS/Explicit, were executed in three steps, one to capture the impact damage, the second to stabilize the specimen by imposing new boundary conditions required for compression testing, and the third to predict the CAI strength. The observed intralaminar damage features, delamination damage area as well as residual strength are discussed. It is shown that the predicted results for impact damage and CAI strength correlated well with experimental testing without the need of model calibration which is often required with other damage models.     

一种改进的内聚力损伤模型在复合材料层合板低速冲击损伤模拟中的应用

针对传统内聚力损伤模型(CZM)无法考虑层内裂纹对界面分层影响的缺点,提出了一种改进的适用于复合材料层合板低速冲击损伤模拟的CZM。通过对界面单元内聚力本构模型中的损伤起始准则进行修正,考虑了界面层相邻铺层内基体、纤维的损伤状态及应力分布对层间强度和分层扩展的影响。基于ABAQUS用户子程序VUMAT,结合本文模型及层合板失效判据,建立了模拟复合材料层合板在低速冲击作用下的渐进损伤过程的有限元模型,计算了不同铺层角度和材料属性的层合板在低速冲击作用下的损伤状态。通过数值模拟与试验结果的对比,验证了本文方法的精度及合理性。     

平面编织复合材料层合板低速冲击后的拉伸性能

对两种不同铺层形式的平面编织复合材料层合板低速冲击后拉伸性能进行了实验研究,在此基础上建立了有限元损伤扩展仿真模拟。在所建立的有限元模型中,将低速冲击损伤等效为形状规则的软化夹杂,并针对两种铺层形式采用不同的损伤判据和模量衰减准则。研究结果表明:该有限元模拟结果与实验结果符合,说明该模型能够准确地预测低速冲击后平面编织复合材料层合板的损伤扩展规律和剩余拉伸强度;不同铺层形式的平面编织复合材料层合板在低速冲击后拉伸的损伤扩展规律不同;它们的冲击后拉伸强度降均>50%,在复合材料结构设计中应该受到重视。      

基于连续介质损伤力学的复合材料层合板低速冲击损伤模型

基于连续介质损伤力学（CDM）方法,建立了分析复合材料层合板低速冲击问题的三维数值模型。该模型考虑了层内损伤（纤维和基体损伤）、层间分层损伤和剪切非线性行为,采用最大应变失效准则预测纤维损伤的萌生,双线性损伤本构模型表征纤维损伤演化,基于物理失效机制的三维Puck准则判断基体损伤的起始,根据断裂面内等效应变建立混合模式下基体损伤扩展准则。横向基体拉伸强度和面内剪切强度采用基于断裂力学假设的就地强度（in-situ strength）。纤维和基体损伤本构关系中引入单元特征长度,有效降低模型对网格密度的依赖性。层间分层损伤情况由内聚力单元（cohesive element）预测,以二次应力准则为分层损伤的起始准则,B-K准则表征分层损伤演化。分别通过数值分析方法和试验研究方法对复合材料典型铺层层合板四级能量低速冲击下的冲击损伤和冲击响应规律进行分析,数值计算和试验测量的接触力-时间曲线、分层损伤的形状和面积较好吻合,表明该模型能够准确地预测层合板低速冲击损伤和冲击响应。     

含孔玻璃纤维/环氧树脂复合材料-铝合金层板的拉伸损伤行为与热暴露响应

采用试验和数值方法研究了含孔玻璃纤维/环氧树脂(GF/EP)复合材料-铝合金层板在不同热暴露温度下的拉伸剩余强度和损伤失效模式,揭示了层间损伤、纤维损伤及基体损伤的演化过程。结果表明:随着热暴露温度升高,含孔GF/EP复合材料-铝合金层板剩余强度不断下降,拉伸破坏呈现出明显的纤维断裂与层间分层混合失效模式。热暴露温度越高或开孔直径越大,GF/EP复合材料-铝合金层板的层间分层损伤区域越小。随着载荷的增大,沿加载方向的0°纤维和基体的损伤分别呈现出类似“漏斗”形和“花瓣”状的损伤演化形式,而层间损伤区域呈现出一对相对开孔对称的三角形损伤演化形式。基于GF/EP复合材料-铝合金层板的剩余强度和损伤失效模式的数值仿真与试验结果吻合较好。      

Damage sequence in thin-ply composite laminates under out-of-plane loading

The study of the damage sequence in polymer-based composite laminates during an impact event is a difficult issue. The problem can be more complex when the plies are thin. In this paper, quasi-static indentation tests were conducted on thin-ply laminates to understand qualitatively the damage mechanisms and their sequence during low-velocity impact loading. TeXtreme® plain weave plies were used with two different thicknesses, 0.08 mm and 0.16 mm (referenced as ultra-thin-ply and thin-ply, respectively), and tested under different load levels. Load–displacement curves were analyzed and the extent of damage was inspected using optical microscopy and ultrasonic technique. The results showed that the damage onset occurs earlier in thin-ply laminates. The damage onset in thin-ply laminates is matrix cracking which induces delaminations, whereas for ultra-thin-ply laminates is due to delaminations which are induced by shear forces and small amount of matrix cracking. Moreover, the fiber breakage appears earlier in ultra-thin-ply laminates.     

Hybrid composites based on aramid and basalt woven fabrics: Impact damage modes and residual flexural properties

The low-velocity impact behaviour of hybrid laminates reinforced with woven aramid and basalt fabrics and manufactured by resin transfer moulding was studied. Specimens with different stacking sequences were tested at three different energies, namely 5, 12.5 and 25 J. Residual post-impact properties of the different configurations of aramid/basalt hybrid laminates were characterized by quasi static four point bending tests. Post-impact flexural tests have been monitored using acoustic emission in order to get further information on failure mechanisms. Results indicate that hybrid laminates with intercalated configuration (alternating sequence of basalt and aramid fabrics) have better impact energy absorption capability and enhanced damage tolerance with respect to the all-aramid laminates, while basalt and hybrid laminates with sandwich-like configuration (seven basalt fabric layers at the centre of the laminate as core and three aramid fabric layers for each side of the composite as skins) present the most favourable flexural behaviour.     

Characterization of fracture modes in stitched and unstitched cross-ply laminates subjected to low-velocity impact and compression after impact loading

The insertion of transverse reinforcing threads by stitching is a very promising technique to restrict impact damage growth and to improve post-impact residual strength of laminates. In order to develop general models capable of addressing the issues of impact resistance and damage tolerance of stitched laminates, detailed understanding of the nature and extent of damage, identification of the dominant fracture modes and assessment of the effect of stitches on the damage development are essential. In this study, both instrumented drop-weight tests and compression-after-impact tests were carried out to examine and compare the damage responses of stitched and unstitched graphite/epoxy laminates subjected to low-velocity impact. The progression of damage and its effect on post-impact performance was investigated in detail in two classes of cross ply laminates ([0₃/90₃]_s and [0/90]_3s) by means of an extensive series of damage observations, conducted with various complementary techniques (X-radiography, ultrasonics, optical microscopy, deply). The results of the analyses carried out during the study to characterize the key fracture modes and to clarify their relationship with the structural performance of both stitched and unstitched laminates are reported and discussed in the paper.     

Impact damage resistance of CFRP with nanoclay-filled epoxy matrix

The influence of nanoclay on the impact damage resistance of carbon fibre–epoxy composites has been investigated using the low-velocity impact and compression after impact (CAI) tests. The load–energy vs. time relations were analyzed to gain insight into the damage behaviours of the materials. The CFRPs containing organoclay brought about significant improvement in impact damage resistance and damage tolerance in the form of smaller damage area, higher residual strength and higher threshold energy level. The presence of nanoclay in the epoxy matrix induced the transition of failure mechanisms of CFRP laminates during the CAI test, from the brittle buckling mode to more ductile, multi-layer delamination mode. Addition of 3 wt% clay was shown to be an optimal content for the highest damage resistance.     

X-ray microtomography analysis of the damage micromechanisms in 3D woven composites under low-velocity impact

3D woven composites reinforced with either S2 glass, carbon or a hybrid combination of both and containing either polyethylene or carbon z-yarns were tested under low-velocity impact. Different impact energies (in the range of 21–316 J) were used and the mechanical response (in terms of the impact strength and energy dissipated) was compared with that measured in high-performance, albeit standard, 2D laminates. It was found that the impact strength in both 2D and 3D materials was mainly dependent on the in-plane fiber fracture. Conversely, the energy absorption capability was primarily influenced by the presence of z-yarns, having the 3D composites dissipated over twice the energy than the 2D laminates, irrespective of their individual characteristics (fiber type, compaction degree, porosity, etc.). X-ray microtomography revealed that this improvement was due to the z-yarns, which delayed delamination and maintained the structural integrity of the laminate, promoting energy dissipation by tow splitting, intensive fiber breakage under the tup and formation of a plug by out-of-plane shear.