On Low-Velocity Impact Response and Compression after Impact of Hybrid Woven Composite Laminates

Abstract

This paper aims to study the low-velocity impact (LVI) response and compression after impact (CAI) performance of carbon/aramid hybrid woven composite laminates employed in marine structures subjected to different energy impacts. The study includes a detailed analysis of the typical LVI responses of hybrid woven composite laminates subjected to the impact with three different energies, as well as a comparative analysis of cracks and internal delamination damage within impact craters. Additionally, the influence of different impact energies on the residual compressive strength of hybrid woven composite laminate is investigated through CAI tests and a comparative analysis of internal delamination damage is also conducted. The results indicate that as the impact energy increases, the impact load and CAI strength show a decreasing trend, while impact displacement and impact dent show an increasing trend. The low-velocity impact tests revealed a range of failure modes observed in the hybrid woven composite laminates. Depending on the specific combination of fiber materials and their orientations, the laminates exhibited different failure mechanisms. Buckling failures were observed in the uppermost composite layers of laminates with intermediate modulus systems. In contrast, laminates with higher modulus systems showed early damage in the form of delamination within the top surface layers.