Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Composite materials are increasingly being used in the design of structures that will be subjected to high-velocity impact during their lifetime. In this review we will look at the recent advances in our understanding of how rigid composite materials behave under high-velocity impact. In particular, this review will focus on rigid structural composites such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic and glass fibre reinforced plastic laminates and what we have learned with regards to how they respond under ballistic-loading conditions. We will focus on a velocity regime that includes impacts from explosively-driven fragments, ice particles and bullets. The hypervelocity-impact response and how these materials behave under one-dimensional shock loading will be studied in an accompanying review (Part II).

Keywords

Impact composites ballistic failure

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abrate

. Impact on laminated composite materials. Appl Mech Rev 1991; 44: 155–190.

Abrate

. Impact on laminated composites: recent advances. Appl Mech Rev 1994; 47: 517–544.

Abrate

. Impact on composite structures. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Cantwell

Morton

. The impact resistance of composite materials – a review Composites 1991; 22: 347–361.

Richardson

MOW

Wisheart

. Review of low-velocity impact properties of composite materials. Composites, Part A: Appl Sci Mfg 1996; 27(12): 1123–1131.

Chai

Zhu

. A review of low-velocity impact on sandwich structures. J Mater Des Appl 2011; 225: 227–230.

Kasano

. Recent advances in high-velocity impact perforation of fiber composite laminates. JSME Int J, Ser A: Mech Mater Engng 1999; 42(2): 147–157.

NATO Standard Agreement: STANAG 2920—ballistic test method for personal armour materials and combat clothing, 2nd ed. 31 July 2003.

Military standard: MIL-STD-662F, V₅₀ Ballistic test for Armor, Department of Defense, USA, 18 December 1997.

10.

Soutis

. Fibre reinforced composites in aircraft construction. Prog Aero Sci 2005; 41: 143–151.

11.

Harper

. Handbook of plastics, elastomers, and composites, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

12.

Appleby-Thomas

Hazell

. On the response of two commercially-important CFRP structures to multiple ice impacts. Compos Struct 2011; 93(10): 2619–2627.

13.

Taylor

Butters

Richardson

. The MANPAD threat to commercial aircraft. J Battlefield Technol 2005; 8(2): 7–11.

14.

Cantwell

Morton

. Detection of impact damage in CFRP laminates. Compos Struct 1985; 3: 241–257.

15.

Cantwell

Morton

. Comparison of the low and high velocity impact response of CFRP. Composites 1989; 20: 545–551.

16.

Cantwell

Morton

. Impact perforation of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Compos Sci Technol 1990; 38: 119–141.

17.

Cantwell

Morton

. The influence of varying projectile mass on the impact response of CFRP. Compos. Struct 1989; 13: 101–114.

18.

Cantwell

. The influence of target geometry on the high velocity impact response of CFRP. Compos. Struct 1988; 10: 247–265.

19.

Lee

S-WR

Sun

. Dynamic penetration of graphite/epoxy laminates impacted by a blunt-ended projectile. Compos Sci Technol 1993; 49(4): 369–380.

20.

Naik

Shankar

Kavala

. High strain rate mechanical behavior of epoxy under compressive loading: Expl Modeling Studies, Mater Sci Engng: A 2011; 528(3): 846–854.

21.

Jacob

Starbuck

Fellers

. Strain rate effects on the mechanical properties of polymer composite materials. J Appl Polym Sci 2004; 94: 296–301.

22.

Caprino

Lopresto

Santoro

. Ballistic impact behaviour of stitched graphite/epoxy laminates. Compos Sci Technol 2007; 67: 325–335.

23.

Reid

Wen

. Perforation of laminates and sandwich panels subjected to missile impact. In: Reid

Zhou

(eds) Impact behaviour of fibre-reinforced composite materials and structures. Cambridge: Woodhead Publication, 2000, pp.239–279.

24.

Hazell

Cowie

Kister

. Penetration of a woven CFRP laminate by a high velocity steel sphere impacting at velocities of up to 1875 m/s. Int J Impact Engng 2009; 36(9): 1136–1142.

25.

Lamontagne

Manuelpillai

Taylor

. Normal and oblique hypervelocity impacts on carbon fiber composites. Int J Impact Engng 1999; 23: 519–532.

26.

Lamontagne

Manuelpillai

Kerr

. Projectiles density, impact angle and energy effects on hypervelocity impact damage to carbon fiber/peek composites. Int J. Impact Engng 2001, 26, 381–398.

27.

Hazell

Kister

Stennett

. Normal and oblique penetration of woven CFRP laminates by a high velocity steel sphere. Compos. Part. A-Appl. S. 2008; 39: 866–874.

28.

Lopez-Puente

Zaera

Navarro

. Experimental and numerical analysis of normal and oblique ballistic impacts on thin carbon/epoxy woven laminates. Compos Part A-Appl S 2008; 39: 374–387.

29.

Hazell

Appleby-Thomas

Kister

. Impact and penetration of a two-part bonded CFRP composite panel by a high velocity steel sphere: an experimental study. J Strain Analysis 2010; 45(6): 439–450.

30.

Fujii

Aoki

Kiuchi

. Impact perforation behavior of CFRPs using high-velocity steel sphere. Int J Impact Engng 2002; 27: 497–508.

31.

Tanabe

Aoki

Fujii

. Fracture behavior of CFRPs impacted by relatively high-velocity steel sphere. Int. J. Impact Engng 2003; 28: 627–642.

32.

Kim

Sham

. Impact and delamination failure of woven-fabric composites. Compos. Sci. Technol 2000: 60; 745–761.

33.

Sanchez-Saez

Barbero

Zaera

. Compression after impact of thin composite laminates. Compos Sci Technol 2005; 65: 1911–1919.

34.

Curtis

Bishop

. An assessment of the potential of woven carbon fibre-reinforced plastics for high performance applications. Composites 1984; 15: 259–265.

35.

Cantwell

Curtis

Morton

. Post-impact fatigue performance of carbon fibre laminates with non-woven and mixed-woven layers. Composites 1983; 14: 301–305.

36.

Hammond

Proud

Goldrein

. High-resolution optical study of the impact of carbon-fibre reinforced polymers with different lay-ups. Int J Impact Engng 2004; 30: 69–86.

37.

Hosur

Vaidya

Ulven

. Performance of stitched/unstitched woven carbon/epoxy composites under high velocity impact loading Compos Struct 2004; 64: 455–466.

38.

Hazell

Appleby-Thomas

. A study on the energy dissipation of several different CFRP-based targets completely penetrated by a high velocity projectile. Compos Struct 2009; 91(1): 103–109.

39.

K-H

Cha

C-S

Kim

S-K

. Effects of temperature on impact damages in CFRP composite laminates Compos. Part B – Engng 2001; 32(8): 669–682.

40.

Lopez-Puente

Zaera

Navarro

. The effect of low temperatures on the intermediate and high velocity impact response of CFRPs. Compos. Part B – Engng 2002; 33: 559–566.

41.

Kim

Welch

Kedward

. Experimental investigation of high velocity ice impacts on woven carbon/epoxy composites panels. Compos Part A – Appl Sci Mfg 2003; 34: 25–41.

42.

Hou

Ruiz

. Soft body impact on laminated composite materials. Composites Part A 2007; 38: 505–515.

43.

Walker

. From Columbia to Discovery: understanding the impact threat to the space shuttle. Int J Impact Engng 2009: 36: 303–317.

44.

Mouritz

Gellert

Burchill

. Review of advanced composite structures for naval ships and submarines. Compos Struct 2001; 53(1): 21–42.

45.

Fecko

. High strength glass reinforcements still being discovered. Reinf Plas 2006; 50(4): 40–44.

46.

Ogorkiewicz

. Composite armour. Composites 1976; 7(2): 71–72.

47.

Hetherington

Rajagopalan

. An investigation into the energy absorbed during ballistic perforation of composite armours. Int J Impact Engng 1991; 11(1): 33–40.

48.

Grujicic

Pandurangan

Zecevic

. Ballistic performance of alumina/S-2 glass-reinforced polymer-matrix composite hybrid lightweight armor against armor piercing (AP) and non-AP projectiles. Multidiscipline Modeling Mater Struct 2007; 3(3): 287–312.

49.

Mines

RAW

Roach

Jones

. High velocity perforation behaviour of polymer composite laminates. Int. J. Impact Engng 1999; 22(6): 561–588.

50.

Naik

Shrirao

Reddy

BCK

. Ballistic impact behaviour of woven fabric composites: formulation. Int J Impact Engng 2006; 32(9): 1521–1552.

51.

Naik

Shrirao

. Composite structures under ballistic impact. Compos Struct 2004; 66(1-4): 579–590.

52.

Naik

Doshi

. Ballistic impact behaviour of thick composites: parametric studies. Compos Struct 2008; 82: 447–464.

53.

Gama

Islam

SMW

Rahman

. Punch shear behaviour of thick-section composites under quasi-static, low velocity, and ballistic impact loading. SAMPE J 2005; 41(4): 6–13.

54.

Gellert

Cimpoeru

Woodward

. A study of the effect of target thickness on the ballistic perforation of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic composites. Int J Impact Engng 2000; 24(5): 445–456.

55.

Ulven

Vaidya

Hosur

. Effect of projectile shape during ballistic perforation of VARTM carbon/epoxy composite panels. Compos Struct 2003; 61(1-2): 143–150.

56.

Edwards

. Land-based military applications. In: Bader

Kedward

Sawada

(eds) Comprehensive composite materials, vol. 6. Oxford: Elsevier Science, 2000, pp.681–699.

57.

Naik

Shrirao

Reddy

BCK

. Ballistic impact behaviour of woven fabric composites: parametric studies. Mater Sci Engng: A 2005; 412(1-2): 104–116.

58.

Deka

Bartus

Vaidya

. Multi-site impact response of S2-glass/epoxy composite laminates. Compos Sci Technol 2009; 69: 725–735.

59.

Sun

Potti

. A simple model to predict residual velocities of thick composite laminates subjected to high velocity impact. Int J Impact Engng 1996; 18: 339–353.

60.

Morye

Hine

Duckett

. Modelling of the energy absorption by polymer composites upon ballistic impact. Compos Sci Technol 2000; 60(14): 2631–2642.

61.

Wen

. Penetration and perforation of thick FRP laminates. Compos Sci Technol 2001; 61: 1163–1172.

62.

Cheeseman

Bogetti

. Ballistic impact into fabric and compliant composite laminates. Compos Struct 2003; 61: 161–173.

63.

Lee

Walsh

Won

. Penetration failure mechanisms of armor-grade fiber composites under impact. J Compos Mater 2001; 35(18): 1605–1633.

64.

Trovillion

Boone

Fink

. Improving the ballistic performance of E-glass composite panels using carbon nanotubes. In: The 27th army science conference, 29 November–2 December 2010.

65.

Wrzesien

. Improving the impact resistance of glass-fibre composites. Composites 1972; 3(4): 172–174.

66.

Woodward

Egglestone

Baxter

. Resistance to penetration and compression of fibre-reinforced composite materials. Compos Engng 1994; 4: 329–341.

67.

Greaves

. Failure mechanisms in glass fibre reinforced plastic armour. DRA Military Division Memorandum 12/92, Chertsey Memorandum 92003, Defence Research Agency, Chertsey, Surrey, March 1992 cited in: Woodward RL, Egglestone GT, Baxter BJ, et al. Resistance to penetration and compression of fibre-reinforced composite materials. Composites Engng 1994; 4: 329-341.

68.

Mouritz

. The effect of underwater explosion shock loading on the flexural properties of GRP laminates. Int J Impact Engng 1996; 18(2): 129–139.

69.

Mouritz

. Ballistic impact and explosive blast resistance of stitched composites. Composites Part B: Engng 2001; 32(5): 431–439.

70.

Mouritz

Leong

Herszberg

. A review of the effect of stitching on the in-plane mechanical properties of fibre-reinforced polymer composites. Compos Part A: Appl Sci Mfg 1997; 28(12): 979–991.

71.

Kang

Lee

. Effect of stitching on the mechanical and impact properties of woven laminate composite. J Compos Mater 1994; 28(16): 1574–1587.

72.

Mouritz

Bannister

Falzon

. Review of applications for advanced three-dimensional fibre textile composites. Compos: Part A 1999; 30: 1445–1461.

73.

Grogan

Tekalur

Shukla

. Ballistic resistance of 2D and 3D woven sandwich composites. J Sandwich Struct Mater 2007; 9: 283–302.

74.

Baucom

Zikry

Rajendran

. Low-velocity impact damage accumulation in woven S2-glass composite systems. Compos Sci Technol 2006; 66(10): 1229–1238.

75.

Jia

Sun

. Ballistic penetration of conically cylindrical steel projectile into 3D orthogonal woven composite: a finite study at microstructural level. J Compos Mater 2011; 45: 965–987.

76.

Walter

Subhash

Sankar

. Damage modes in 3D glass fiber epoxy woven composites under high rate of impact loading. Compos Part B – Engng 2009; 40(6): 584–589

77.

Wang

Mirabella

. Ballistic damage in structurally loaded carbon/epoxy composite panels. J Battlefield Technol 2007; 10(1): 1–8.

78.

Grujicic

Marvi

. A comparative investigation of the use of laminate-level meso-scale and fracture-mechanics-enriched meso-scale composite-material models in ballistic-resistance analyses. J Mater Sci 2010; 45(12): 3136–3150.

79.

Yen

C-F

. A ballistic material model for continuous-fiber reinforced composites. Int J Impact Engng 2012; 46: 11–22.

The impact of structural composite materials. Part 1: ballistic impact

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References