Influence of Matrix Resin on Impact Resistance of CFRP by a Small Sphere

Abstract

Since carbon fiber-reinforced plastic matrix composites (CFRPs) have the advantages of lightweight and high strength, they are promising candidates for structural materials of high-speed vehicles/aircrafts. With such use, foreign object impact is an inevitable risk for the materials; damage behavior or tolerance should be evaluated. Using several kinds of CFRPs with different matrix resins, epoxy and polyamide 6, a spherical projectile was impacted against the CFRPs to evaluate the effects of the matrix resins on the deformation behavior and debris amount. A high strain-to-break fiber and low-modulus matrix results in a higher dissipation energy with a larger deformation but lower amount of debris. The PA6 matrix composites, when having similar mechanical properties of the epoxy resin matrix composites, exhibit a similar behavior against spherical projectile impact regarding the deformation, debris amount, and dissipation energy.