The fracture properties of fiber metal laminates based on a 3D printed glass fiber composite

Abstract

Fiber Metal Laminates (FML) are structures that contain a sequential arrangement of metal and composite materials, which are of great interest to the aerospace sector due to the superior mechanical performance. The traditional manufacturing process for FML involves considerable investment in manufacturing resources depending on the design complexity of the desired components. To mitigate such limitations, 3D printing enables direct digital manufacturing to create FML with customized configurations. In this work, a preliminary mechanical characterization of additively-manufacturing-enabled FML has been investigated. A series of continuous glass fiber-reinforced composites were printed with a Markforged system and placed between layers of aluminum alloy to manufacture hybrid laminate structures. The laminates were subjected to tensile, interfacial fracture toughness, and both low-velocity and high-velocity impact tests. The results showed that the FMLs appear to have a good degree of adhesion at the metal-composite interface, although a limited intralaminar performance was recorded. It was also observed that the low and high-velocity impact performance of the FMLs was improved by 9–13% relative to that of the constituent elements. The impact performance of the FML appeared to be related to the fiber fracture, out of plane perforation and interfacial delamination within the laminates. The present study can provide an initial research foundation for considering 3D printing in the production of hybrid laminates for static and dynamic applications.

Investigating the low-velocity impact behaviour of sandwich composite structures with 3D-printed hexagonal honeycomb core—a review

“…At an energy level of 15 J, the CP composite exhibited perforations with higher energy absorption than the UNI composite. This difference can be attributed to the propagation of inter-and intra-laminar cracks and debonding of the layers of the system involved in the FML, whereas aluminum only propagated cracks [82]. Sarvestani et al found all auxetic sandwich panels of various densities absorbed up to 33% and 35%, respectively, in contrast to rectangular and hexagonal sandwich panels.…”

A parametric study on the behavior of FMLs based on UHMWPE composite under high velocity impact loading

“…(5) A comparison between 2/1 and 3/2 configurations showed that with the same metal volume fraction, changes in the lay-up sequence do not have much effect on the ballistic velocity and energy absorbed in the samples. (6) The MVF is an important parameter in the high velocity impact performance of the PERALL specimens. The result showed that with increasing MVF, SPE decreases.…”

“…Also, due to their advantages and applications, the production of new FMLs has recently been considered. For example, the fabrication of FMLs using basalt fiber, 4 self-reinforced polypropylene fiber, 5 with 3D printed glass fiber composite, 6 and carbon fibers with different aluminum alloys 7 are a part of recent works in this field.…”

Fabrication of glass/madar fibers reinforced hybrid epoxy composite: a comprehensive study on the material stability

“…Typically, the materials exhibit a tensile strength that falls within the range of 30 to 50 MPa, accompanied by a modulus of elasticity ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 GPa. These fibers possess inherent qualities of being widely available and environmentally friendly, with a very modest density ranging from 1.3 to 1.5 g/cm 3 11 . Furthermore, the utilization of madar/jute fibers presents commendable thermal insulating characteristics and biodegradability, thereby aligning with the imperative of eco-consciousness and the necessity for lightweight composite materials 12 .…”