Moderate speed impact damage to 2D-braided glass–carbon composites

Hybrid glass–carbon 2D braided composites with varying carbon contents are impacted using a gas gun by impactors of masses 12.5 and 44.5 g, at impact energies up to 50 J. The damage area detected by ultrasound C-scan is found to increase roughly linearly with impact energy, and is larger for the lighter impactor at the same impact energy. The area of whitening of the glass tows on the distal side corresponds with the measured C-scan damage area. X-ray imaging shows more intense damage, at the same impact energy, for a higher-mass impactor. Braids with more glass content have a modest increase in density, decrease in modulus, and reduction in the C-scan area and dent depth at the impact site, particularly at the higher impact energies. Impact damage is found to reduce significantly the compressive strength, giving up to a 26% reduction at the maximum impact energy.