A numerical investigation about temperature influence on thermoplastic hot-formed reinforced composites under low-velocity impact

In the field of impact response of thermoplastic reinforced composites, several investigations about material behaviour in terms of delamination, indentation and fracture mechanism were conducted. Although a significant influence of the polymer temperature on the overall material impact response is expected, a limited number of studies are available in this regard. Most of the available scientific evidence concerns thermosetting composites and thermoplastic composites response only at room temperature. In particular, the purpose of this contribution is to better understand the dissipation mechanisms involved in thermoplastic reinforced composite under impact conditions for different temperatures. Starting from the few available literature data about the modelling of the problem, the aim of the present work is the development of a numerical approach able to reproduce the experimentally tested conditions. An experimental campaign on hot pressed polyamide 6/basalt plain fabric laminates impact was selected as the benchmark for the numerical approach. The laminates impact response at increasing values of impact energy between 5J and 30J were simulated under three temperature conditions set around the polymer transition temperature (40°C, 80°C and 100°C). By validating the overall numerical model response on the room temperature experiment, considerations about the magnitude of viscous dissipation and its influence, for the different tested temperatures and in function of the adopted lamination technology, were made.