Impact Behavior of Particles Filled-Glass/Polyester Composite Plates

The aim of the study is to lay bare the impact behavior of filled composite plates experimentally. The woven glass/polyester-matrix composite plates filled with 0% (unfilled), 10%, and 20% SiCp ceramic particles were manufactured by hand lay-up method. The low velocity drop impact testing is conducted to the composite samples subjected to increasing impact energies that were ranged from approximately 2.5 to 22.5 J. With this use of increasing impact energies, it was possible to examine the impact response and damage mechanism until perforation of the composite plates. An energy profiling method was used in order to identify the perforation thresholds of composites. It is concluded that addition of particles to resin, until a certain ratio, increases the perforation thresholds of the woven glass/polyester. The perforation threshold of 10% filled composite is about 37% higher than that of the 20% filled composite and 6% higher than ones of the unfilled composite. POLYM. COMPOS., 32: 1125-1133, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers