Impact Response of Carbon/Kevlar Hybrid 3D Woven Composite Under High Velocity Impact: Experimental and Numerical Study

• Published in: Applied composite materials Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 285 - 305
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Sohail, Zheng, Xitao, Zhang, Di, Yan, Leilei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algorithms; Aramid fiber reinforced plastics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Computer simulation; Criteria; Damage assessment; Failure mechanisms; Impact damage; Impact response; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Kevlar (trademark); Materials Science; Mathematical models; Polymer Sciences; Three dimensional composites; Woven composites; Yarns; Continuum shell; Hybrid; Impact behavior; Finite element analysis (FEA); 3D woven
• ISSN: 0929-189X; 1573-4897
• DOI: 10.1007/s10443-020-09809-3

The ballistic impact behavior of hybrid 3-dimentional woven composites (3DWC) is predicted through a novel numerical modeling technique and validated the outcome through experimental data. Continuum shell elements with Hashin failure criterion and cohesive surface contact algorithm with traction separation law are used to predict the damage behavior and failure mechanisms during the impact process at interply and intraply levels. Z-yarns are represented by the connector elements with uniaxial behavior having stress-based failure criterion. The proposed methodology predicted the different damage mechanisms during the impact process in comparison with the experimental data and estimated the residual velocities with acceptable accuracy. Different failure mechanisms incurred due to the hybrid nature of the material are also captured by the numerical simulation and the effect of z-yarns are truly depicted by the use of simple 1D elements over the different phases of perforation process. Overall, the finite element (FE) methodology by using simplest form of the elements, their constitutive and damage behavior gives promising results by sufficiently reducing the computational cost.