IRREVERSIBLY ABSORBED ENERGY AND DAMAGE IN BFRP LAMINATES IMPACTED AT LOW-VELOCITY

At the aim to investigate about the dynamic response of a new composite material made of basalt fibre in epoxy resin, low velocity impact tests were carried out on specimens different in thickness. The results of the tests at complete penetration so that at different impact energy levels were used to investigate about the influence of the impact parameters: the maximum force, Fmax, was found to be a good one to compare data obtained in different conditions. The absorbed energy was evaluated too, together with the impact energy and the penetration one, giving the possibility to individuate a threshold value below which no damage is present in the laminate. Particular attention was paid on the internal damage: a deply technique was adopted to evaluate the delamination extension and the fibre failure length at each interface. The effect of a low velocity impact is localized around the impact area and a small extension of the delamination was observed denoting a different way of energy absorption.