Impact resistance and damage mechanisms of CFRP with elastomeric interlayers under low-velocity impacts

With the development of composites, the use of elastomers can enhance the impact resistance of lightweight structures. Composites with elastomers have demonstrated significant potential for industrial applications. However, the underlying mechanisms that cause changes in the impact behavior of these composites require further investigation. This paper combines experimental and numerical methods to study the impact resistance and damage mechanisms of CFRP laminates with elastomeric interlayers. First, this study reports the experimental results of low-velocity impact tests conducted on CFRP, as well as CFRP integrated with two and four elastomeric interlayers, subjected to varying impact energy levels. Then, numerical models for laminates with and without elastomers are established to reveal the underlying mechanisms behind the changes in impact behaviors, from the view of damage, stress distribution, and energy distribution during the impact. Finally, the effects of external impact conditions and internal material parameters on the impact behavior of CFRP with elastomeric interlayers are investigated. The main contributions of this paper include revealing the underlying mechanisms through which the elastomeric interlayers influence the impact resistance of the laminates and investigating the effects of external factors and internal factors on the impact responses of CFRP with elastomers. Highlights: Composites with elastomers are forward-looking for impact applications. Impact response is investigated experimentally and numerically. Mechanisms of elastomer improvements in impact resistance are revealed. Effects of external and internal parameters on impact behavior are analyzed.