Impact Performance of Macrocomposite Laminates-1. Evaluation of Energy Absorbed in Non-Penetration Impact Test

Cladding of dissimilar materials is one of the several methods for improving the mechanical properties of composite materials. In this investigation, low impact energy test (non-penetration test) was carried out on GFRP/metal composites. The behavior at three energy levels (4, 8, and 12 J) was studied. The samples were divided into three types: Type 1 consisting of GFRP, Type 2 is GFRP with stainless steel (not bonded) and Type 3 is GFRP bonded to stainless steel. The GFRP contains chopped strand mat (CSM), biaxial system (BX) and quasiaxial system (QX). Both force at the initial peak (Fi) and maximum force (Fmax) increased due to the presence of stainless steel in the composite. However, Fmis increases with respect to impact energy whilst Fi was independent of impact energy. A slight improvement on the energy absorption of GFRP layer in the macrocomposite system was achieved at all energy levels except for CSM-GFRP which shows a significant brittle failure.