Investigations on the Role of Foam Layers in the Failure of Glass-Epoxy Composite Subjected to Repeated Impacts

The comparative performance of repeatedly low mass pendulum impacted glass-epoxy (G-E) composites without and with the inclusion of either two or three (sheet) layers of flexible foam at the mid-region of the laminate is reported. Using square cross section specimens, the orientation of the test coupon was altered with respect to the impact direction such that in one case the G-E part, and the foam layers, constituting the system, were lying parallel (edgewise) and in the second case perpendicular (flatwise). The features of impact tested coupons, observed through macroscopy, were correlated with the mechanical data.