Low-velocity impact behaviors of a fully thermoplastic composite laminate fabricated with an innovative acrylic resin

The current study investigates the low-velocity impact behavior of newly developed ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) manufactured at room temperature with an innovative liquid methylmethacrylate (MMA) thermoplastic resin, Elium (R). Because of the extremely high molecular mass, UHMWPE fibers exhibit outstanding impact strength and energy dissipation properties. Thus, to evaluate the out-of-plane mechanical properties of the newly developed laminates and compare the results with those of traditional thermosetting and thermoplastic laminates, impact tests at various energy levels from 15 J to 40 J are conducted. Different impact characteristics, namely maximum load, displacement, absorbed energy, structural integrity, and damage failure modes are analyzed for Elium (R)-based laminates and compared with those of thermosetting laminates fabricated with UHMWPE fibers. During the tests, the thermoplastic composite laminate showed a ductile behavior and developed extended plasticity. The results revealed that the newly developed thermoplastic structures at room temperature can obtain higher impact load and lower absorbed energy up to 40% compared to those thermosetting counterparts. Furthermore, it was found that replacing the thermosetting resin with the thermoplastic resin significantly improved the structural integrity of the laminate by 240%.