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CHAPTER 5 LOW-VELOCITY IMPACT ON FIBER-REINFORCED LAMINATES

5.1
5.1.1

Low-Velocity Impact on Cross-ply Laminates

Results and Analysis using SIFT-EFM

The simulation of low-velocity impact damage on composite laminate was carried using the 3-D explicit FE code with SIFT-EFM. The 3-D cross-ply fiber-reinforced laminate has a lay-up of [02/902]S and dimension of 56mm (width) 56mm (length) 2.272mm (thickness) clamped at two of the edges (Figure 5.1). This particular laminate and boundary conditions are chosen in order to enable comparison with experimental data from Finn [17]. The projectile is a 0.161kg cylinder with hemispherical head of radius 6.35mm with an assumed contact radius of 1mm and an initial velocity of 4.11m/s impacting at the center of the plate. 3 2
VO m

1 Material coordinate

Figure 5.1: Impact on 3-D Cross-ply Fiber-reinforced Laminate

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The laminate is modeled with 3 elements per ply. The mesh of the plate contains 497,025 nodes and 470,400 elements (140 by 140 by 24). The element type is 8node solid element with one integration point. The input material properties of the graphite/epoxy plate are summarized in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1: Material Properties of Graphite/Epoxy Used in FE Model, from Gosse Material Property Youngs modulus in fiber direction Youngs modulus in transverse direction Youngs modulus in normal direction Shear modulus Shear modulus Shear modulus Poissons ratio Poissons ratio Poissons ratio Density Coefficient of Thermal expansion in fiber direction Coefficient of Thermal expansion in fiber direction Coefficient of Thermal expansion in fiber direction Symbol (Unit)
E1 (GPa)
E 2 (GPa)

Value 172.37 9.307 9.307 5.17 5.17 3.447 0.33 0.33 0.30 1540 1.00 23.62 23.62

E 3 (GPa)
G12 (GPa)

G13 (GPa) G 23 (GPa)

12
13
23

(kg/m3)
1 (10-6 /C)

2 (10-6 /C) 3 (10-6 /C)

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Initial and Boundary Conditions

Initially (time0), the displacement and velocity at every point of the plate are zero. Thus, the initial conditions are
u i = 0; & ui = 0 throughout the plate at t 0

(5.1)

where i = 1, 2, 3

At the start of the simulation (immediately time>0), the nodes that are in contact with the impactor are given the initial impact velocity, as well as the distributed mass of the projectile.

Each edge of the plate may be clamped, simply supported or free. The boundary conditions corresponding to these types of support are (Figure 5.2) 1. Clamped edge u 3 = 0; u n = 0 on the surface of the edge

(5.2)

2.

Simply supported edge

u 3 = 0; u n = 0 along the mid-line of the edge

(5.3)

3.

Free edge
f i = 0; i = 1, 2, 3

on the surface of the edge

(5.4)

where n is the direction normal to the edge of the plate and f is the surface traction.

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Clamped:

x3

u3 = un = 0 on edge surface

xn

Simply supported:

u3 = un = 0 along edge midline

Free:
f1 = f2 = f3 = 0 on edge surface

Figure 5.2: Possible Boundary Conditions along an Edge of the Plate

At every time step, SIFT was invoked to check the damage of the laminate and EFM was applied by modifying the nodal forces of the failed elements. Figure 5.3(a) shows an undamaged composite material element, experiencing a set of internal nodal forces (only the nodal forces of one node is illustrated; F1 indicates the nodal force in the fiber direction, F2 indicates the nodal forces in the transverse fiber direction and F3 indicates the nodal forces in the normal/plate thickness direction). The nodal force in the transverse fiber direction of the failed element is zeroed when the gauss point of the element shows tensile stress in the direction transverse to the fibers, as shown in Figure 5.3(b). When the failed element is at the interface between layers of different fibers orientation, the nodal forces in the transverse fiber direction and the normal direction (plate thickness direction) are zeroed when the gauss point of the element shows tensile stresses in the direction transverse and normal (out-of-plane) to the fibers, as illustrated in Figure 5.3(c). 45

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0 Plies 45 Plies

Composite Laminate

F1

F2 F3

FE of Composite Material

Interface between 0 and 45 Plies

(a)

(b)

(c)

Figure 5.3: Finite Element of (a) Undamaged Composite with Internal Nodal Forces (b) Composite with Transverse Matrix Cracks (c) Composite at Interface with Transverse Matrix Cracks and Delamination

The simulation was carried out up to a particular time step, known as the termination time. The output of the code provides all the failed elements in each ply. The postprocessor used for result visualisation is TECPLOT. Delaminations and matrix cracks could then be plotted by considering and identifying damage elements at the interfaces and individual ply respectively. Figures 5.4-5.6 show the matrix cracks in the various plies and Figure 5.7 shows the combined plot of matrix cracks. Figures 5.8-5.9 show the delaminations at the two interfaces and Figure 5.10 shows the combined plot of delamination. Finally, Figure 5.11 shows the combined plot of delamination and matrix cracks, superimposed together. TECPLOT shows the exact results generated by the simulation, whereas schematic plots drawn is to better

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represent system of matrix cracks and delamination and to allow superimposition of damage at various interfaces and plies. In the figures below, the square borders, which represent the size of the plate (56mm 56mm) are incorporated to show the relative size of damage to the plate size. The actual size of the plate is drawn to scale together with the damage.

Figure 5.4: Matrix Cracking in 0 ply at Impact face (left: TECPLOT, right: Schematic Plot)

Figure 5.5: Matrix Cracking in 0 ply at Distal face (left: TECPLOT, right: Schematic Plot)

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Figure 5.6: Matrix Cracking in 90 ply at Middle ply (left: TECPLOT, right: Schematic Plot)

Figure 5.7: Combined Plot of Matrix Cracks

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Figure 5.8: Delamination Shape at Distal Interface (left: TECPLOT, right: Schematic Plot)

Figure 5.9: Delamination Shape at Impact Interface (left: TECPLOT, right: Schematic Plot)

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Figure 5.10: Combined Plot of Delamination

Figure 5.11: Combined Plot of Delamination and Matrix Cracks

5.1.2

Discussions and Comparison with Experimental Results

The simulation result is compared with the experimental data obtained from Scott R. Finn [17]. After impact, the plate was inspected by C-scan and by X-ray. The pulse echo C-scan technique used in the investigation provided the shape and dimensions

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of the delamination at each ply group interface. The X-ray technique yielded the outermost periphery of all the delaminations inside the plate as well as locations of the matrix cracks.

The delamination length and width shown is for the interface nearest to the back surface of the plate (distal interface) because the delaminations at this location were found to be larger than at any other interfaces in the plate. Figure 5.12 shows the experimental results of the delamination observed.

Figure 5.12: Delamination Shape Measured, from Figure 11 of [17]

It has been reported in literature that delaminations have been found to occur only at interfaces between plies which have different fiber orientations. All cross-ply laminates showed peanut-shaped delamination at the interfaces. For a (0n/90n)s laminate, the delamination area at the impact interface is much smaller than that at the distal interface. Figure 5.13 shows the locations of the distal and impact interfaces.

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Impactor

Vo

0 plies 90 plies

Distal Interface

Impact Interface

Figure 5.13: Locations of Distal and Impact Interfaces

It can be observed that the SIFT-EFM code provides a good prediction of the delamination shape. The simulation predicts the peanut shape which is the characteristic of delaminations caused by impact loading. Good agreement with the experimental result is observed, especially for the shape and size of the delamination at the distal interface of the cross-ply laminate. Generally, peanut shaped delamination is observed in cross-ply laminates and the delamination size at the distal interface is bigger than that at the impact interface. The peanut shape delamination is also oriented at the correct direction, which is the same as the fiber orientation of the distal face. These observations correspond correctly to experimental results in the literature. Figures 5.14-5.16 show more pictures of peanut-shaped delaminations obtained from literature.

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Figure 5.14: C-Scan Image Showing Damage Extension in the Cross-ply Laminate Impacted at 4 J. 20 (left), 60 (center) and 150 C (right), from Figure 9 of [25]

Figure 5.15: C-Scan Image of Delamination for Cross-ply Laminate under Low-Velocity Impact, from Figure 13 of [26]

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Figure 5.16: Radiograph of the Damage in Cross-ply Laminate [904/04]S, from Figure 8 of [27]

5.2
5.2.1

Low-Velocity Impact on Quasi-Isotropic Laminates

Results and Analysis using SIFT-EFM

Another simulation of low-velocity impact damage on composite laminate was carried out using the 3-D explicit FE code with SIFT-EFM. In this case, the damage of a 3-D quasi-isotropic composite plate with lay-up of [45/0/-45/90]S was simulated. The plate has a size of 56mm (width) 56mm (length) 3mm (thickness). The boundary condition is clamped at two of the edges (same as the previous simulation with cross-ply laminate, Figure 5.1). The projectile is a 0.161kg cylinder with hemispherical head of radius of 6.35mm and an initial velocity of 4.11m/s impacting at the center of the plate.

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For this case, the laminate is modeled using three elements per ply. The mesh of the plate contains 225,625 nodes and 212,064 elements (94 by 94 by 24). The input material properties of the graphite/epoxy plate are the same as in the previous simulation for cross-ply laminates (Table 5.1).

SIFT-EFM algorithm was applied at every time step with the appropriate nodal force modification to the failed elements. Delaminations and matrix cracks were then plotted by considering and identifying damage elements at the interfaces and individual ply respectively. The major focus of the damage analysis is on the delamination pattern due to low-velocity impact. As such, delaminations at respective interfaces are shown in Figures 5.17-5.23. Figure 5.24 shows the combined delamination for all the 7 interfaces. Complete analysis results are presented in Appendix B.

Figure 5.17:

Delamination Shape at Interface 1 (from Distal Face, between 45 and 0)

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Figure 5.18:

Delamination Shape at Interface 2 (from Distal Face, between 0 and -45)

Figure 5.19:

Delamination Shape at Interface 3 (from Distal Face, between -45 and 90)

Figure 5.20:

Delamination Shape at Interface 4 (from Distal Face, between 90 and 90)

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Figure 5.21:

Delamination Shape at Interface 5 (from Distal Face, between 90 and -45)

Figure 5.22:

Delamination Shape at Interface 6 (from Distal Face, between -45 and 0)

Figure 5.23:

Delamination Shape at Interface 7 (from Distal Face, between 0 and 45)

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Figure 5.24:

Combined Delamination

5.2.2

Discussions and Comparison with Experimental Results

The simulation prediction is compared with experimental results*. The delamination of a quasi-isotropic [45/0/-45/90]2S laminate due to low-velocity impact damage is analysed using C-scan and is shown in Figure 5.25.

Figure 5.25: Delamination C-scan Experiment *Experimental results are from courtesy of Dr. Sangwook Sihn, University of Dayton Research Institute. 58

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It can be observed that the overall damage pattern appears to be almost circular. However, detailed observation shows that the delamination shape for each interface is not circular. In fact, the delamination shape for individual interface has a peanut or oblong shape, oriented along the respective fiber direction. The delamination shapes at various interfaces are shown in different colours. Care must be taken when observing C-scan analysis results, due to shadow effect.

It has been highlighted previously in literature review that researchers found out that delamination areas were generally oblong-shaped with their major axis being coincident with the fiber orientation of the layer below the interface. Moreover, as reported in literature review, delamination only occurs between different oriented layers and has a characteristic two-lobed shape with its major axis oriented on the fibers direction of the lower ply of the interface. This delamination characteristic in quasi-isotropic laminate can be further seen in TOF analyses (Figure 2.4).

The closest agreement which the simulation has predicted against the experimental result is the overall almost circular delamination shape. The first and second delaminations are also oriented along the 45 direction. However, there should not be any delamination at the middle interface as both adjacent plies have fibers oriented along the 90 direction. If closer observation is made for each individual interface, the simulation results did not exhibit peanut or oblong shape delamination. Delaminations at most of the interfaces are also not properly oriented along fiber direction.

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This implies that the present 3-D FE code with SIFT-EFM is presently unable to predict the correct delamination pattern for quasi-isotropic laminate. Apparently there is a need to refine the algorithm of the 3-D FE code for quasi-isotropic laminates. An additional algorithm may be needed to be incorporated into the code to identify the correct regions for delamination. Physically, not all interfaces in the laminate experience delamination (as seen in the C-scan analysis). A cascading or step-wise effect is observed in the damage of quasi-isotropic laminates lay-up (Figure 2.4-2.5).

60