Low-velocity impact properties of bouligand polymer composites

Abstract The aim of the present paper was to investigate the behavior of Bouligand polymer composites compared with conventional three-dimensional structures of polymer composites. A series of Bouligand and conventional preforms were manufactured with carbon fiber filaments and infused with epoxy resin to create the polymer composite panels. A computerized drop-weight impact tester was used to study the force versus displacement response of polymer composites at three energy levels of 10, 15, and 20 J. The time histories and load vs time curves of impact-induced samples were focused to see insights into damage behavior, post-peak behavior, impact tolerance, and damage. The load vs time curve of Bouligand polymer composites at the various impact energy levels was calculated numerically and correlated with experimentally obtained data. The results revealed that the Bouligand structure offers higher resistance to penetration and showed progressively more damage-tolerant post-peak load behavior as compared to those of bias and orthogonal structures. The numerical and experimental results were in good agreement.