Impact properties of laminated angle ply composites

The impact properties of laminated composites have been studied as a function of fiber orientation angle, lamination configuration and specimen geometry. The energy absorbing mechanisms havebeen identified. The impact properties of laminated composites are influenced significantly by the fiber orientation angle, lamination configuration and specimen geometry. All off-axis composites (0° < θ < 90°) fail by brittle inter-fiber cleavage mode with little or no interlayer delamination. The longitudinal composites (θ = 0°), both unidirectional and crossplied, fail by a combination of failure modes which take place in a sequential manner—fiber failure and interfacial splitting followed by a layer-to-layer delamination. The presence of 0° layer(s) in transverse composite (θ ±90°) improves their impact performance.