Observations on the impact behaviour of carbon-fibre reinforced polymers for the qualitative validation of models

Experimental impact data for a carbon-fibre reinforced polymer are presented showing damage modes produced by different specimen dynamic response to impact. Real time observations of the impact events have provided an insight into the impact processes that are a key to explaining the damage inflicted for different impact conditions. Impact data obtained are shown to be in different regimes depending upon the projectile to specimen mass ratio and the projectile velocity. Experimental findings are listed and related to predictions from quasi-static and dynamic models for low velocity/high mass (LV/HM) and high velocity/low mass (HV/LM) impact regimes. An important use of these experimental findings could be in the development and validation of computer models. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.