Influence of the impactor mass on the dynamic behaviour of woven carbon/vinylester laminates

Fiber-reinforced laminar composite structures are widely used in several industrial sectors like aerospace and automotive due to their extraordinary peculiarities. This work deals with the influence of the impactor mass on the behaviour of carbon/vinylester woven laminates subjected to low velocity impact (LVI) events, very common in the cited fields. Samples with two different thicknesses were tested with a drop weigh machine using three nominal impact energy values and three different impactor masses. To highlight any influence of the impactor mass, the impact behaviour and the evolution of the damage suffered by the specimen examined were systematically analyzed through confocal microscope inspections and ultrasound investigations. Results also discussed in terms of strain rate sensitivity and mass of the specimen emphasized the prevalence of dissipative interlaminar phenomena and a more marked influence of the impactor mass on the thinnest laminates.