Damage progression in fibre reinforced polymer composites subjected to low-velocity repeated impact loading

• Published in: Composite structures 2020-11, Vol.252, p.112735, Article 112735
• Main Authors: Katunin, Andrzej, Pawlak, Sebastian, Wronkowicz-Katunin, Angelika, Tutajewicz, Dawid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Damage progression; GFRP composites; Image processing; Low-velocity impact damage; Repeated impact loading
• ISSN: 0263-8223; 1879-1085
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112735

In this paper, the authors focused on an investigation of an influence of impact energy and type of impacting tip on the resulting damage and its propagation under repeated impact loading in glass fibre-reinforced polymeric composites. The obtained results allowed for the evaluation of fracture mechanisms during such a type of loading and, based on experimental results two models of overall damage and crack progression were proposed, considering the theoretical fundamentals of damage mechanics. The fitting models were developed in the form of double-exponential functions, which is in a good agreement with phenomenology of the investigated fracture progression as well as experimental data. The three-phase fitting model of structural degradation is confirmed in all the investigated cases and particular phases were attributed to damage progression stages. A variety of the investigated cases and results of fitting of the experimental data allowed to the estimation of fracture mechanisms and propagation character of resulting damage under repeated impact loading. An analysis of coefficients of the fitting models allowed for quantitative description of changes in damage progression for various impact energy and impacting tips considered in the study.