Characterization of high-velocity impact damage in CFRP laminates: Part I - Experiment

This study investigated mechanisms of the extension of high-velocity impact damage in CFRP laminates. To this end, damage states due to near-perforation impact were studied in detail. This study consists of two parts. Part I presents the experiment results of high-velocity impact tests for CFRPs with specified stacking sequences. A crater and splits were observed on the impacted surface, while multiple splits with fiber breaks extended on the back surface. The cross-section beneath the impact point included catastrophic ply failure with extensive fiber breaks. Impacted specimens also exhibited a particular delamination pattern consisting of pairs of symmetric fan-shaped delaminations emanating from to the impact point and elongated delamination along the cracks in the bottom ply. These damage patterns were common to all of the stacking sequences. Part II of this study presents a numerical analysis of high-velocity impact based on smoothed-particle hydrodynamics and discusses damage extension mechanisms.