Low-Velocity Impact Response of Biaxial Glass-Fiber Fabric Composites: Influence of Fabric Layer Number Under Progressively Increasing Impact Energy
4 affiliations
- 1National Institute for Aerospace Research (INCAS) “Elie Carafoli”, 220 Iuliu Maniu, 061126 Bucharest, Romania
- 2Technical Sciences Academy of Romania (ASTR), 26 Dacia, 010413 Bucharest, Romania
- 3National University of Science and Technology “Politehnica” Bucharest, Faculty of Mechanics and Mecatronics, Department of Machine Element and Tribology, 313 Splaiul Independentei, District 6, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- 4“Ovidius” University, 124 Mamaia Avenue, 900527 Constanța, Romania
Abstract
Glass-fiber-reinforced polymer composites are of interest for lightweight structural applications, including marine structures, where accidental low-velocity impact is an important design consideration. This study investigates the low-velocity impact response of polyester-matrix composites reinforced with 4 layers, 6 layers, and 8 layers of biaxial glass fabric. A progressive test program, designed according to the number of fabric layers, used increasing impact-energy levels to cover both an indentation-dominated non-perforating regime and complete perforation, with the transition toward complete perforation in each configuration guiding the energy range selected for the configuration with the next higher number of fabric layers. Instrumented drop-weight tests with a 16 mm hemispherical impactor were analyzed using force, displacement, velocity, and energy histories. At the highest fully non-perforating energy levels of 30 J, 60 J, and 100 J, maximum contact forces were 7.25 kN, 13.05 kN, and 17.45 kN, while absorbed energies were approximately 28.7 J, 54.1 J, and 95.3 J. At 40 J, 80 J, and 120 J, respectively, the composite series entered the transition regime, with complete perforation observed for some of the tested specimens. The investigated parameters showed different diagnostic values: some were sensitive to the impactor mass–velocity combination, whereas displacement, energy, and velocity histories more clearly reflected the change in impact regime. The progressive test campaign, extended up to complete perforation, provides a practical means of identifying the transition between impact regimes and establishing application-specific impact limits. For design purposes, components exposed to accidental impact should therefore incorporate an adequate margin below the experimentally identified transition energy range.
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BibTeX
@article{cristea2026lowvelocity,
title = {{Low-Velocity Impact Response of Biaxial Glass-Fiber Fabric Composites: Influence of Fabric Layer Number Under Progressively Increasing Impact Energy}},
author = {George Cătălin Cristea and Lorena Deleanu and Maria Gherghișan and Mario Constandache and Claudiu Marian Martin and Ioana Gabriela Chiracu and Cătălin Pîrvu and Alina Dragomirescu},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18192412},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667031},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Low-Velocity Impact Response of Biaxial Glass-Fiber Fabric Composites: Influence of Fabric Layer Number Under Progressively Increasing Impact Energy
AU - George Cătălin Cristea
AU - Lorena Deleanu
AU - Maria Gherghișan
AU - Mario Constandache
AU - Claudiu Marian Martin
AU - Ioana Gabriela Chiracu
AU - Cătălin Pîrvu
AU - Alina Dragomirescu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18192412
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667031
AB - Glass-fiber-reinforced polymer composites are of interest for lightweight structural applications, including marine structures, where accidental low-velocity impact is an important design consideration. This study investigates the low-velocity impact response of polyester-matrix composites reinforced with 4 layers, 6 layers, and 8 layers of biaxial glass fabric. A progressive test program, designed according to the number of fabric layers, used increasing impact-energy levels to cover both an indentation-dominated non-perforating regime and complete perforation, with the transition toward complete perforation in each configuration guiding the energy range selected for the configuration with the next higher number of fabric layers. Instrumented drop-weight tests with a 16 mm hemispherical impactor were analyzed using force, displacement, velocity, and energy histories. At the highest fully non-perforating energy levels of 30 J, 60 J, and 100 J, maximum contact forces were 7.25 kN, 13.05 kN, and 17.45 kN, while absorbed energies were approximately 28.7 J, 54.1 J, and 95.3 J. At 40 J, 80 J, and 120 J, respectively, the composite series entered the transition regime, with complete perforation observed for some of the tested specimens. The investigated parameters showed different diagnostic values: some were sensitive to the impactor mass–velocity combination, whereas displacement, energy, and velocity histories more clearly reflected the change in impact regime. The progressive test campaign, extended up to complete perforation, provides a practical means of identifying the transition between impact regimes and establishing application-specific impact limits. For design purposes, components exposed to accidental impact should therefore incorporate an adequate margin below the experimentally identified transition energy range.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -