An investigation on the effect of a small mass impact on sandwich composite plates

This paper investigates the high strain rate response of polymer matrix sandwich composites utilizing foam-filled honeycomb cores by means of a small mass impact. The reinforcement fiber chosen for use in this paper is a simple weave carbon fiber. This paper also investigates the effects of utilizing different laminate configurations in conjunction with investigation of the effectiveness of such laminate during impact loading. In an effort to ascertain more information about the impact situation, compression after impact tests are performed to determine the extent of the damage by observing the degradation of strength associated with the impact event.