Low‐Velocity Impact and Compression‐After‐Impact Behaviors of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Reinforced With Glass Fiber

ABSTRACT Glass fiber (GF) is considered a highly effective reinforcement for poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to overcome its inherent brittleness and poor impact resistance. This paper experimentally investigates the low‐velocity impact (LVI) and compression‐after‐impact (CAI) behaviors of PMMA reinforced with glass fiber (GF/PMMA). Four types of specimens were prepared by varying the fiber stacking configurations and their positions within the matrix. Impact damage detection and CAI strain evolution were performed using C‐scan and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques, respectively. Under LVI tests, the incorporation of fibers serves to not only inhibit crack propagation and disperse load but also significantly enhance the perforation threshold (up to a twofold increase) and energy absorption (up to a 118% increase). In GF/PMMA, CAI failure is predominantly driven by matrix fracture, frequently coupled with extensive fiber‐matrix debonding. Compared to pure PMMA, upper‐layer fiber‐reinforced GF/PMMA (CP‐A) exhibits a significant enhancement in both failure displacement and energy absorption, with average increases of 54.9% and 83.0%, respectively, achieved through energy dissipation via more pronounced bulging and fiber‐matrix debonding. Such behaviors collectively demonstrate their superior toughness and ductility.