Impact response and post‐impact performance of unidirectional and crossply carbon/epoxy laminates modified with milled glass fibers

In this research work, the low‐velocity impact behavior and post impact performance of carbon/epoxy laminates modified with milled glass fibers was investigated. Unidirectional (UD) and Cross‐ply (CP) carbon/epoxy laminates were incorporated with milled glass fibers by 5 wt% of epoxy. Low‐velocity impact test was performed at impact velocity of 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, and 5 m/s, respectively and the results were correlated with the baseline samples without filler. The filler loaded samples exhibited higher peak force, lesser deformation, and lower damage degree than the baseline samples. The milled glass fibers in the interlaminar zone restricts the delamination crack propagation resulting in reduced impact damage area and also promotes additional energy dissipation mechanism including filler debonding/pullout. Furthermore, the CP filler‐loaded samples show higher residual load‐bearing capacity for impact velocities 3, 3.5, and 4 m/s, respectively. Although the unidirectional filler‐loaded samples showed better load bearing capacity for impact velocities beyond 4 m/s. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2441–2451, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers