Hail impact damage behaviors of glass fiber reinforced epoxy filled with nanoclay

Abstract

In this paper, the influence of nanoclay on the hail impact damage resistance of glass fibre/epoxy composites under single and repeated high-velocity hail impact has been investigated. The damage extension was investigated to gain insight into the damage behaviors of the composite materials in the presence of nanoclay. Nanocomposite specimens containing nanoclay in 0, 0.5, 1.5 and 3 (wt%) were prepared by liquid-state mixing method using a high shear homogenizer. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed intercalation and exfoliation of the nanoclay in the epoxy resin matrix used. Woven roving fabric with ±45° stacking sequence showed highest resistance to damage for composite laminates under high-velocity hail impact. Glass fiber/epoxy containing nanoclay resulted in smaller damage area and higher strength. The existence of nanoclay in the epoxy matrix induced the transition of failure mechanisms of glass fiber/epoxy laminates during the high-velocity hail impact test. Addition of 1.5wt% clay proved to be an optimized value with the highest damage resistance.