Role of super-elastic shape memory alloy (SE-SMA) embedment designs on energy absorption in GFRP composites

• Published in: Materials today communications Vol. 31; p. 103779
• Main Authors: Mishra, Vagish D., Andrew, J.Jefferson, Mishra, Ashish, Verma, Luv, Sivakumar, Srinivasan M., Vedantam, S., Dhakal, H.N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2022
• Subjects: Digital image correlation (DIC); Energy absorption characteristics; Glass/epoxy composite laminates; Low-velocity impact; Quasi-static indentation; Super-elastic shape memory alloys (SE-SMA); Energy absorption characteristics; Digital image correlation (DIC); Low-velocity impact; Glass/epoxy composite laminates; Super-elastic shape memory alloys (SE-SMA); Quasi-static indentation
• ISSN: 2352-4928; 2352-4928
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2022.103779

In this paper, we experimentally investigate the energy absorption characteristics of super‐elastic shape memory alloy (PE‐SMA) integrated in a flexible glass/epoxy composites fabricated using vacuum‐assisted resin infusion (VARI) process. The composite samples have three different PE-SMA configurations, characterized by length variation (35, 70, 150 mm) and anchored/unanchored (35 and 70 mm anchored and 150 mm unanchored). Quasi-static (tensile and indentation (QSI)) and dynamic (low-velocity impact (LVI)) mechanical tests were performed on the composite samples, and the changes in energy absorption characteristics and damage tolerance at strain rates ranging from 8.41 to 952.1/s were compared with the homogeneous glass/epoxy samples. Experiments performed on three SMA-based samples reveal that the 70 mm SMA wire samples, due to their relatively higher SMA deformation and restricted pull-out, show around 13- and a 27-fold increase in absorbed energy under QSI and LVI, respectively, compared with homogeneous glass/epoxy samples. [Display omitted]