Influence of laminated orientation on the mechanical and thermal characteristics of carbon-fiber reinforced plastics

Rapid industrial development in recent times has increased the demand for light-weight materials with high strength and structural integrity. In this context, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite materials are being extensively used. However, laminated CFRPs develop faults during impact because CFRPs are composed of mixed carbon fiber and epoxy. Moreover, their fracturing behavior is very complicated and difficult to interpret. In this paper, the effect of the direction of lamination in CFRP on the absorbed impact energy and impact strength were evaluated, including symmetric ply (0°/0°, –15°/+15°, –30°/+30°, –45°/+45°, and –90°/+90°) and asymmetric ply (0°/15°, 0°/30°, 0°/45°, and 0°/90°), through drop-weight impact tests. Further, the thermal properties of the specimens were measured using an infrared camera. Correlations between the absorbed impact energy, impact strength, and thermal properties as determined by the drop-weight impact tests were analyzed. These analyses revealed that the absorbed impact energy of the specimens with asymmetric laminated angles was greater than that of the specimens with symmetric laminated angles. In addition, the asymmetry ply absorbed more impact energy than the symmetric ply. Finally, the absorbed impact energy was inversely proportional to the thermal characteristics of the specimens.