The low-velocity impact response of a hybrid titanium composite laminate (HTCL), known as TiGr, was compared to that of graphite/epoxy composite. The TiGr material comprised of two outer plies of titanium foil surrounding a composite core. The composite core was PIXA-M (a high temperature thermoplastic) reinforced by IM-6 graphite fibers and consolidated by an induction heating process. The impact response of TiGr was characterized by two modes of failure which differed by failure or non-failure in tension of the bottom titanium ply. The ductility of titanium caused buckling by yielding whereas the brittle adjacent composite ply lead to fracture. The maximum failure force of the material correlated well with the previously reported static flexural data, and the material outperformed the commonly used graphite/epoxy.

Volume Subject Area:
Materials
Topics:
Composite materials, Laminates, Titanium, Failure, Epoxy adhesives, Epoxy resins, Graphite, Brittleness, Buckling, Ductility, Electromagnetic induction, Fracture (Materials), Graphite fibers, Heating, High temperature, Tension
1.
Richardson
 
M. O. W.
,
Wisheart
 
M. J.
, “
Review of Low-Velocity Impact Properties of Composite Materials
,”
Composites: Part A
, Vol.
27A
,
1996
, p.
1123
–
1131
.
2.
A. Vlot, Low-Velocity Impact Loading on Fibre Reinforced Aluminium Laminates (ARALL) and Other Aircraft Sheet Materials, 1991, Technische Universiteit Delft.
3.
P. J. Hogg, A. Ahmadnia, “The Impact Properties of Metal-Composite Laminates,” Proceedings of the ICCM & ECCM, Vol. 3, 1987, p. 3.46–3.56.
4.
Vlot
 
A.
, “
Impact Loading on Fibre Metal Laminates
,”
Int. J. Impact Engineering
, Vol.
18
,
1996
, p.
291
–
307
.
5.
Caprino
 
G.
,
Spataro
 
G.
,
Del Luongo
 
S.
, “
Low-Velocity Impact Behaviour of Fiberglass-Aluminium Laminates
,”
Composites: Part A
, Vol.
35
,
2004
, p.
605
–
616
.
6.
Burianek
 
D. A.
,
Spearing
 
S. M.
, “
Modeling of Facesheet Crack Growth in Titanium-Graphite Hybrid Laminates. Part II: Experimental results
,”
Engineering Fracture Mechanics
, Vol.
70
,
2003
, p.
799
–
812
.
7.
Burianek
 
D. A.
,
Spearing
 
S. M.
, “
Delamination Growth From Face Sheet Seams in Cross-Ply Titanium/Graphite Hybrid Laminates
,”
Composites Science and Technology
, Vol.
61
,
2001
, p.
261
–
269
.
8.
Ramulu
 
M.
,
Stickler
 
P. B.
,
McDevitt
 
N. S.
,
Datar
 
I. P.
,
Kim
 
D.
,
Jenkins
 
M. G.
, “
Influence of Processing Methods on the Tensile and Flexure Properties of High Temperature Composites
,”
Composites Science and Technology
, Vol.
64
,
2004
, p.
1763
–
1772
.
9.
Sinke
 
J.
, “
Manufacturing of GLARE Parts and Structures
,”
Applied Composite Materials
, Vol.
10
,
2003
, pp.
293
–
305
10.
Rhymer
 
D. W.
,
Johnson
 
W. S.
, “
Fatigue Damage Mechanisms in Advanced Hybrid Titanium Composite Laminates
,”
International Journal of Fatigue
, Vol.
24
,
2002
, p.
995
–
1001
11.
Arola
 
D.
and
Ramulu
 
M.
, “
Net shape manufacturing and the performance of polymer composites under dynamic loads
,”
Experimental Mechanics
, Vol.
37
, No.
4
,
1997
, pp.
379
–
385
.
12.
Baker
 
A. A.
,
Jones
 
R.
,
Callinan
 
R. J.
, “
Damage Tolerance of Graphite/Epoxy Composites
,”
Composite Structures
, Vol.
4
,
1985
, p.
15
–
44
.
13.
PCB Piezotronics Inc., “Model 208C04 Spec Sheet,” http://www.pcb.com/spec_sheet.asp?model=208C04&ite m_id=3715 (accessed Jan. 26, 2005).
14.
Kaman Measuring Systems, “KD-2300 Specifications,” and Kaman Measuring Systems, “KD-2300 Sensors,” http://www.kamaninstrumentation.com/html/products/dat asheets/kd2300-specs.htm (accessed Jan. 26, 2005).
15.
S.W. Bernhardt, Impact response Characterization of a Hybrid Titanium Composite Laminate, MS Thesis, University of Washington, 2005.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 2005
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.