Low-Velocity Impact Resistance of Glass Laminate Aluminium Reinforced Epoxy (GLARE) Composite

This study intends to determine the behavior of glass laminate aluminum-reinforced epoxy (GLARE) and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites under a low-velocity impact test. Experimental tests and numerical simulations are considered for this investigation. All samples are made by the hand lay-up method. Moreover, specimens are produced with a 7075-T6 aluminium sheet with a 0.5 mm thickness, resin 3001, and E-glass fiber. The drop weight test performs the low-velocity impact at 6.7 J and 10 J impact energy levels and the heights of 1.0 m and 1.5 m. Numerical simulation is also conducted by ANSYS software to compare the results obtained by the experimental tests. Generally, results show that maximum deflections of the GLARE samples are significantly lower as compared to GFRP ones by 87% and 83.5% for 1.0 m and 1.5 m drop heights, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that although aluminum sheets prevent damage to the fibers in GFRP, delamination and fractures between layers are observed in GFRP samples. An appropriate agreement is also obtained between the FE results and experimental data.