Shock response of unidirectional carbon polymer composite up to pressures of 200 GPa

Carbon fiber reinforced composite materials are often used to protect spacecraft from hypervelocity impacts with micrometeoroids or space debris. Therefore, shock-wave properties of these materials at pressures corresponding to orbital impact velocities are of interest. Experimental studies of shock compressibility of unidirectional carbon fiber polymer composite with longitudinal and transverse fiber orientation relative to the direction of shock-wave propagation have been carried out in the pressure range of up to 200 GPa. Particle velocity profiles on the composite surface-water window interface were recorded with a multichannel laser interferometer. The formation of a two-wave structure with a precursor amplitude from 1.5 to 3 GPa was observed with longitudinally oriented fibers. We show that Hugoniot of the composite material almost does not depend on the orientation of the carbon fibers, except for low pressures, when the particle velocity does not exceed 1 km/s. The graphite/diamond phase transition and the destruction of epoxy resin result in a characteristic kink on the Hugoniot curve with a distinct two-phase state region in the 23-35 GPa pressure range.

Automated summary

The shock compressibility of a carbon fiber polymer composite with different fiber orientations was studied. The orientation of the carbon fibers has a minor influence on the Hugoniot curve of the material, except at low pressures. A distinct two-phase state region was observed on the Hugoniot curve in the pressure range of 23-35 GPa, due to the graphite/diamond phase transition and the destruction of the epoxy resin.