Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The damage tolerance of thick S-2 glass-fabric reinforced polyester, vinylester, and epoxy matrix composite panels subjected to ballistic impact loading has been examined. The damage shape and size was examined using ultrasonic NDE. After inspection of the damage, residual compression strength of the impacted panels was measured. The hand laid-up glass-polyester composite suffered from a large damage size, and low strength in compression after ballistic impact (CABI). The glass-vinylester and glass-epoxy panels manufactured using the SCRIMP process showed small damage sizes and high residual strengths. Through-thickness stitching of glass-vinylester and glass-epoxy panels was found to reduce the impact damage size, but the difference was quite small and did not translate into a substantial strength increase. The performance of panels with a ceramic tile bonded at the impact site was also examined. Model predictions of the CABI strength based on compression failure at the net section are compared to measured data, and implications for design of damage tolerant materials are discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

1. Woodward, M.R. and Stover, R. (2001). Damage Tolerance, In: Miracle, D.B. and Donaldson, S.L. (eds), ASM Handbook, Vol. 21 (Composites), pp. 295-301, Vol. Chairs, ASM Int’l, Material Park, OH .

2. Levin, K. (1991). Characterization of Delamination and Fiber Fractures in Carbon Reinforced Plastics Induced from Impact , In: Jono, M. (ed), Proc. 6th Cont. on Mech. Behavior of Materials, pp. 519-524 , Kyoto, Japan, Pergamon Press, Oxford.

3. Sjogren, A. Krasnikovs and Varna, J. (2001). Experimental Determination of Elastic Properties of Impact Damage in Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Laminates , Compos., Part A, A32: 1237-1242 .

4. Chai, H. and Babcock, C.D. (1985). Two-Dimensional Modeling of Compressive Failure in Delaminated Laminates , J. Compos. Mater., 19: 67-98 .

5. Chatterjee, S.N., Dick, W.A. and Pipes, R.B. (1986). Mixed-Mode Delamination Fracture in Laminated Composites , Compos. Sci. Tech., 25: 49-67 .

6. Flanagan, G. (1998). Two-Dimensional Delamination Growth in Composite Laminates Under Compression Loading, ASTM STP 972, pp. 180-190.

7. Whitcomb, J.D. and Shivakumar, K.N. (1989). Strain-Energy Release Rate Analysis of Plates with Postbuckled Delaminations , J. Compos. Mater., 23: 714-734 .

8. Whitney, J.M. and Nuismer, R.J. (1974). Stress Fracture Criteria for Laminated Composites Containing Stress Concentrations , J. Compos. Mater., 8: 253-265 .

9. Soutis, C. and Curtis, P.T. (1996). Prediction of the Post-Impact Strength of CFRP Laminated Composites , Compos. Sci. Tech., 56: 677-684 .

10.

10. Olsson, R., Iwarsson, J., Melin, G., Sjogren, A. and Solti, J. (2003). Experiments and Analysis of Laminates with Artificial Damage , Compos. Sci.Tech., 63: 199-209 .

11.

11. Hyer, M.W. (1998). Stress Analysis of Fibrer-Reinforced Composite Materials, McGraw-Hill, Boston .

12.

12. Lekhnitskii, S.G. (1968). Anisotropic Plates, Gordon and Breach, New York .

13.

13. Tan, S.C. (1994). Stress Concentrations in Laminated Composites, Technomic, Lancaster .

14.

14. Gillespie, J.W. Jr. and Carlsson, L.A. (1988). Influence of Finite Width on Notched Laminate Strength Predictions , Compos. Sci. Tech., 32: 15-30 .

15.

15. ABAQUS Version 6.3 (2002). User’s Manual, Pawtucket, R.I .

16.

16. Monib, A.M. (1999). Damage Tolerance of Thick-Section Composites Subjected to Ballistic Impact, CCM Report 99-08, Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware.

17.

17. Howland, R.C.J. (1930). On The Stresses in the Neighbourhood of a Circular Hole in a Strip Under Tension , Phil. Trans. Royal Soc., (London), A229: 49-86 .

18.

18. Advani, S.G. and Sozer, E.M. (2002). Process Modeling in Composites Manufacturing, Marcel Dekker, New York .

19.

19. Dransfield, K., Baillie, C. and Mai, Y. (1994). Improving the Delamination Resistance of CFRP by Stitching - A Review , Compos. Sci. Tech., 50: 305-317 .

20.

20. Adams, D.F., Carlsson, L.A. and Pipes, R.B. (2003). Experimental Characterization of Advanced Composite Materials, 3rd edn, CRC Publishers, Boca Raton .

21.

21. NIJ Standard 0101.03, (1987). Ballistic Resistance of Police Body Armor, U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice .

22.

22. Bernetich, K.R., Fink, B.K. and Gillespie, J.W. Jr. (1998). Ballistic Testing of Affordable Composite Armor , Presented at the 13th Annual Technical Conference of the American Society for Composites, Baltimore, MD.

23.

23. Hetherington, J.G. and Lemieux, P.F. (1993). The Effect of Obliquity on the Ballistic Performance of Two Component Composite Armours , Int. J. Impact Eng., 15(2): 131-137 .

24.

24. Blake, R.A. Jr. (1990). Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques for Composite Materials, In: Carlsson, L.A. and Gillespie, J.W. Jr. (rev. eds), Sect. 6.2, in Delaware Composites Design Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, pp. 57-109, Technomic, Lancaster .

25.

25. Bradley, W.L. and Cohen, R.N. (1985). Matrix Deformation and Fracture in Graphite-Reinforced Epoxies, ASTM STP 876, pp. 389-410.

26.

26. ASTM D 3410-95 (2001). Compressive Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials with Unsupported Gage Section by Shear Loading, ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA .

27.

27. Chu, S.-C. and DeLuca, E. (1993). Dynamic Response of S-2 Glass Reinforced Plastic Structural Armor - a Progress Report, ARL-SR-5, Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD.

28.

28. Guynn, E.G., Bradley, W.L. and Elber, W. (1989). Micromechanics of Compression Failures in Open Hole Composite Laminates, ASTM STP 1012, pp. 118-136.

Damage Tolerance of Thick-Section S-2 Glass Fabric Composites Subjected to Ballistic Impact Loading

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References