High velocity impact response of carbon/epoxy composite laminates at cryogenic temperatures Articles uri icon

publication date

  • May 2023

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 9

volume

  • 168

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1359-835X

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1878-5840

abstract

  • Composite laminates are subjected to cryogenic temperatures in exposed aircraft structures during flight or in cryogenic tanks. The combination of cryogenic temperatures and high velocity impacts represents a threat to their integrity. This work investigates the behavior of carbon¿epoxy laminates under high velocity impacts (from 70 to 500 m/s) at room and cryogenic (-150 degrees C) temperatures and under two different plate orientations with respect to the projectile direction. The damage pattern of impacted specimens at low temperature, revealed by C-scan and X-ray tomography, exhibits a higher density of fiber breaks and shear matrix cracks which do not translate to a larger projected damaged area. The experimental analysis through interlaminar shear strength tests and the calculation of ply thermal stresses exclude the association of this particular pattern to damage mechanisms induced during the temperature decrease.

subjects

  • Materials science and engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

keywords

  • composite; cryogenic; impact; x-ray micro-computed tomography