Damage sensing and mechanical properties of a laminate composite material containing MWCNTs during low-velocity impact

Abstract EN

In this work, we present a new criterion, unlike other attempts, to evaluate and quantifythe degree of damage of composite material when it subjected to a sudden impact load.

Our criterion exploits the high intrinsic electrical conductivity property of the Multiwalledcarbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) after dispersing different concentrations of them (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 % ) in the epoxy matrix of a glass fibre composite.

Following thisgoal, the low-velocity impact and flexural after impact (FAI) tests on the MWCNTs-glassepoxy (i.

e.

MWCNTs-GF) nanocomposite were evaluated.

At the same time, the changesin its electrical resistance were measured.

The results showed that the properties of theself-sensing composites were significantly affected by impact energy.

The damage afterimpact causes an increase in the electrical resistance of the MWCNTs-GF nanocompositeand increases with increased impact energy.

In addition, the samples containing a highconcentration of MWCNTs showed lower damage sensitivity under all impact energieslevels as compared with the samples contain a lower MWCNTs concentration.

Therefore, the results presented in this work have shown that it is possible to associate the change inelectrical resistance of the MWCNTs-GF nanocomposite with the degree of damagescaused by impact load.