Study of post-impact behaviour of thin carbon/epoxy laminates subject to fatigue tensile loading

This article concerns the experimental and numerical study of post-impact damage propagation in thin carbon/epoxy woven composite laminates loaded fatigue tension. Low velocity normal drop weight impact tests are first performed. Post-impact tensile then carried out. They controlled displacement. The monitoring is based on Digital Image Correlation RX tomography. influence energy loading studied. governed by matrix damage, with emergence tows/resin splittings intra-tows crackings as well delamination when plies have different orientations. When or displacement level increases, initiates sooner propagate faster. In some cases, that can lead to a quasi-instantaneous failure identical observed for quasi-static loading. FEM semi-continuous approach, initialy developped modelling extended laminates. Fatigue laws, observations implemented. correlates results terms scenario speed depending number cycles made up same orientation.