CHARACTERIZATION OF DELAMINATION AND FIBER FRACTURES IN CARBON FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS INDUCED FROM IMPACT

ABSTRACT This investigation addressed the damage shape and size distribution in laminated carbon fibre reinforced plastics subjected to impact. Unique shapes of delamination at each interface and fibre fracture in each ply occurred for such factors as material toughness and impactor tip diameter for a range of impact energies. However both toughness and impactor tip diameter had an effect on the size distribution especially at lower impact energies where the damages were preferably located in the lower part of the laminate. However the effect decreased at higher energies where a more symmetrical size distribution occurred. Moreover a rotation of a stacking sequence did not alter the delamination shapes and sizes.