Experimental and numerical evaluation of Quasi-Static Indentation behaviour of laminates with polypropylene matrix

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the damage process of composite laminates subjected to low-velocity quasi-static indentation (QSI) load. The laminates were prepared using the compression moulding technique. The composites were made from orthotropic layers with E-glass or steel fibres and a polypropylene matrix. The quasi-static indentation tests were carried out at three levels of indentation energy under low-velocity. The experimental results reveal that using steel fibres increases the perforation threshold, which alludes to the importance of the fibre type in delineating damage regions. In contrast, the evolution of the damage and the perforation resistance of glass fibre reinforced laminates is somewhat different. A numerical model based on a finite element program was developed to understand the mechanisms of damage evolution in the laminates. It in-volves implementing the Matzenmiller-Lubliner-Taylor (MLT) damage model. A comparison between the experimental and numerical results was also made