Effects of midplane carbon nanotube sheet interleave on the strength and impact damage resistance of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites

Abstract The effects of embedding a midplane carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet on the impact damage resistance, tensile strength and propensity for interlaminar shear failure in a carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite is experimentally evaluated. External and internal damage in the impacted composite laminates were characterized via surface profilometry and ultrasonic C‐scan, respectively. The external dent areas and dent depths were greater for impacted laminates without the CNT sheet interleave, while the planar internal damage areas were greater for the impacted laminates with the CNT sheet. Destructive evaluation of the impacted laminates showed significant delaminations and matrix cracks in the vicinity of the midplane for the laminates with the CNT sheet, while damage was more distributed through the thickness in the non‐CNT sheet ones. While a single CNT sheet interleave did not significantly affect the tensile strength of the laminate, residual strength after impact and the corresponding strain to failure was higher because of the CNT sheet interleave. The propensity for interlaminar shear failure was greater for laminates without the CNT sheet than those with the CNT sheet.