Balaganesan G., Velmurugan R., Srinivasan M., Gupta N.K., Kanny K.
Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai, India; SERC, IISc Bangalore, India; Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Delhi, India; Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
Balaganesan, G., Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai, India; Velmurugan, R., Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai, India; Srinivasan, M., Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai, India; Gupta, N.K., SERC, IISc Bangalore, India, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Delhi, India; Kanny, K., Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
Composite laminates made of glass/epoxy with and without nano fillers were subjected to projectile impact. The laminates of different thicknesses were prepared by hand lay-up and compression molding processes. Laminates were made from glass woven roving mats of 610 gsm, epoxy resin and nano clay of 1-5 wt.% of matrix. A piston type gas gun setup was used to impact a spherical nose projectile of diameter 9.5 mm and mass of 7.6 g, on the nanocomposite laminates at impact velocities in the range of their ballistic limit and above. The energy absorbed during penetration and ballistic limit of the nanocomposite laminates were studied both experimentally and analytically. The analytical model also predicts the energy absorbed in various failure modes due to tensile failure of primary fibers, deformation of secondary fibers, delamination and matrix crack. Mechanical properties like tensile modulus, stress-strain function, shear modulus, and strain energy release rate were used as input to the analytical model. Laminates of three, five and eight layers have been considered for the analysis. The effect of clay dispersion in the matrix for different failure modes is discussed. Ballistic limit obtained from the model is validated with experimental results and good agreement is found. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Analytical models; Ballistics; Compression molding; Elastic moduli; Energy absorption; Epoxy resins; Failure (mechanical); Glass; Laminated composites; Mechanical properties; Nanocomposites; Projectiles; Strain; Strain rate; Stresses; Ballistic Limit; Composite laminate; Compression molding process; Impact damages; Impact loadings; Impact velocities; Projectile impact; Stress-strain functions; Laminates