Cure effects on post-impact tensile characteristics of 2D epoxy composites

Epoxy and hybrid fabric of aramide and glass fiber was used to obtain quasi-orthotropic composite laminates. They were characterised to tensile and their residual characteristics were determined after impacts from 2 to 8 J. The choice of curing conditions was found to be determinant in the mechanical characteristics. It could be verified that there is one alternative cure treatment in mechanical properties, time and cost to the proposed one by the resin manufacturer for the consolidation of the laminate. The incidence of the impact is barely pronounced at low energies and it was able to establish a threshold level of damage surrounding to 2 J for multi-step cured laminates. The losses in elastic modulus are higher. For strength and toughness losses become very high. Toughness is the indicator with the highest degree of variation. Differences on losses are influenced by cure treatment in all of tensile indicators.