Measuring the Effect of Strain Rate on Deformation and Damage in Fibre-Reinforced Composites: A Review

Abstract

This review aims to assess publications relevant to understanding the rate-dependent dynamic behaviour of glass- and carbon-fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPs). FRPs are complex structures composed of fibres embedded in a polymer matrix, making them highly anisotropic. Their properties depend on their constituent materials as well as micro-, meso- and macro-scale structure. Deformation proceeds via a variety of damage mechanisms which degrade them, and failure can occur by one or more different processes. The damage and failure mechanisms may exhibit complex and unpredictable rate-dependence, with certain phenomena only observable under specific loading conditions or geometries. This review focusses on experimental methods for measuring the rate-dependent deformation of fibre composites: it considers high-stain-rate testing of both specimens of ‘simple’ geometry as well as more complex loadings such as joints, ballistic impact and underwater blast. The effects of strain rate on damage and energy-based processes are also considered, and several scenarios identified where strength and toughness may substantially decrease with an increase in strain rate.

The morphological and mechanical characterization of UHMWPE based composite: an experimental study

“…This eventually leads to the failure mechanism known as fiber pull-out. This occurs in regions with a high concentration of resin [40][41][42].…”

High temperature in situ impact testing of hybrid thermoplastic polyether ether ketone laminates

“…Significant differences are usually observed in terms of internal damages when composite laminates are subjected to quasi‐static indentation or dynamic loadings. [ 28,29 ]…”

“…[1][2][3][4] A few references have compared the low velocity impact behaviors of thermoplastic laminates at room temperature (RT) [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] as well as at low, [11][12][13][14][15][16] high temperatures, [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] including strain rate effects. [27][28][29][30] The influence of hybridization on the impact behavior was investigated as well. [31,32] TP laminates usually demonstrate lower structural loss up to 200%, lower contact force by 14%, and lower absorbed energy by 48% compared with those of TS counterparts.…”

“…Significant differences are usually observed in terms of internal damages when composite laminates are subjected to quasi-static indentation or dynamic loadings. [28,29] From the brief literature review, it appears that the influence of temperature on the impact behavior of thermoplastic-based laminates significantly depends on the temperature testing conditions, and more specifically the thermally induced damages. In other words, depending on the physico-chemical phenomena taking place within polymer-based laminates, it is expected that the polyether ether ketone (PEEK) matrix will experience various degradation mechanisms that will change their capabilities to transfer the mechanical loading when laminates are subjected to low velocity impacts at high temperature.…”