Open Access
Subscription or Fee Access
Characterization of Delamination in Translaminar Reinforced Composites Due to Low Velocity Impact
Abstract
Z-pinning has been used to improve the delamination strength of laminated composites as has been shown in Mode-I and Mode-II fracture toughness. Additionally the degradation of in-plane properties has been studied in the past and documented in the literature. This paper presents a preliminary study on the use of zpinning to improve the delamination resistance against barely visible impact damage. Experimental results indicated that the use of pinning can considerably improve the compression strength after impact (CSAI). Non-destructive observations revealed a lower delamination area after impact when the samples were fully covered with zpins. Additionally, samples with a surrounding z-pin boundary were able to provide a containment mechanism for an area with sub-surface delamination. Computational models have been developed to help predict the delamination area and CSAI with impact damage.