Low-velocity impact test

In general, taking into consideration the experimental quasi-static indentation and low-velocity impact test data, the results found and their correlations with damage observations could provide valuable information for better design of innovative lightweight vehicle components made of composite materials. In addition, filler materials, such as GBs, could play a significant role in improving the crashworthiness and occupant safety in the event of a vehicle crash. 

BeUngardi, G., Vadori, R., 2002. Low velocity impact tests of laminate glass-fiber-epoxy matrix composite material plates. International Journal of Impact Engineering 27, 213—229. 

Adhesion Society. He is active in organising conferences and publishing and was a founder member of EURADH and WCARP, the main European and World series on Adhesion. He has been Joint Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives since 1999. His main research area is on adhesively bonded joints and he pioneered the application of finite element analysis for determining the stresses, strains, and strength of such joints. In addition to his adhesives research, he has also worked extensively on vibration properties in composites and developed low-velocity impact tests for non-destructively testing composites and sandwich structures. 

Ramakrishnan et al. [19] discussed the effect of block copolymer nano-reinforcements on the low-velocity impact response of sandwich structures. They employed an instrumented drop tower setup for the low-velocity impact tests of the sandwich plates with neat and nano-reinforced epoxy matrix, at different energies. They identified the macroscopic response of the sandwich structure and the microscopic phenomena involved in dissipating the impact energy and compared it for the sandwich plates with (and without) nanoparticles. They evaluated the dynamic response of sandwich composites based on Kevlar fiber reinforced epoxy and Rohacell foam and reported an improvement in impact performance with these sandwich structures that was achieved by the addition of nanoparticles to the resin matrix. In their work an acrylate triblock copolymer that self-assembles in the nanometer scale, called Nanostrength, was added to the epoxy matrix. The effect of the nano-reinforcements on flat sandwich plates undergoing low-velocity impact was investigated at different scales. 

The present paper investigates the fhicture properties of two different TCON foams, as well as their integration within FMLs to manufacture a new breed of sandwich structures. These sandwich structures have been subjected to low velocity impact tests and their performance has been characterized. 

Low Velocity Impact Testing of ICON Foam and Sandwich Structures... 

Both ICON A and B were subjected to low velocity impact testing. It was found that ICON A was able to absorb an impact energy up to 15.5 J without breaking and ICON B supported an energy of 70.4 J. It was also found that whereas ICON A showed a brittle fracture, ICON B showed a ductile fracture (see Figure 7). 

The filament winding technology was used to produce flat or cylindrical composite structures. The flat panels were produced using a flat mandrel with a 25 pm MELINEX film inserted at half-thickness to generate the starter crack needed for ENF tests. Pipes for low velocity impact tests were produced using a more conventional tubular mandrel. For each of the above mentioned composite structures three types of raw-materials were used a conventional glass polyester system,... 

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