The response of hybrid titanium carbon laminates to the low-velocity impact

Impact resistance is one of the more critical and important features of composite materials used in the aerospace industry. The objective of work was to evaluate the hybrid titanium carbon laminate resistance to dynamic loads. The paper utilizes numerous criteria for evaluation of impact behaviour of materials, including force change, energy absorption characteristics and failure identification. To thoroughly analyze the damage mechanism, a detailed fractography of laminate destruction was performed. Moreover, an empirical model for determining the universal impact behaviour coefficient of fibre metal laminate (FML) was proposed. The first significant force fluctuations prove to reach the laminate?s impact resistance limit as caused by the initiation of cracking of respective layers and the consequent reduction of laminate rigidity. A growing proportion of absorbed energy in the case of growing impact energies, from some 50% in case of 2.5 J of energy, up to circa 80% in case of 30 J of energy was recorded. Reduction of interlayers with crossing fibers fosters the creation of cracks in the lower layer of titanium due to the limited capability of partial absorption of energy through delamination.

Automated summary

The study evaluates the hybrid titanium carbon laminate resistance to dynamic loads through various criteria, and analyzes the damage mechanism. The experimental results indicate that the proportion of absorbed energy increases with the increasing impact energy.