Impact strength of optically transparent glass ribbon composites

Optically transparent ribbon-composite (OTRC) panels were made by reinforcing a clear polymer matrix with glass ribbons of matching refractive index. These panels had glass volume fraction up to 0.60 and tensile strength up to 772 MPa. Impact testing of 610 mm x 910 mm x 6 mm OTRC panels with a 0.45 kg projectile indicated two different failure modes at similar impact energies. One failure mode, corresponding to impact velocities from 883 to 913 km/h, was associated with crack initiation, which transitions to a large delamination zone. The second failure mode, corresponding to a 922 km/h impact velocity, is associated with crack formation as in a typical punchathrough failure. An ABAQUS finite element model was used to analytically predict the impact resistance of OTRC panels.