Influence of low velocity impact on fatigue behaviour of woven hemp fibre reinforced epoxy composites

The purpose of this work is to study the resistance to low velocity impact of woven hemp/epoxy matrix composites and the influence of impact damage on their residual quasi-static tensile and cyclic fatigue strengths. Impact characteristic parameters were evaluated and critically compared to those found in the literature for other similar composites. Damage mechanisms were analysed by using AE monitoring and microscopic observations. An analytical model is used to predict the fatigue lifetime of impacted specimens. Moreover a damage scenario is proposed, reduced to two phases in post-impacted fatigue behaviour, instead of three phases for non impacted specimens. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.