Flexural Fatigue Response of Repaired S2-Glass/Vinyl Ester Composites
Abstract
Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding is a promising, affordable technique for producing composite integral armor (CIA) and thick-section composites for U.S. Army-relevant applications. Among several constituents, the CIA uses S2-glass/epoxy and/or S2-glass/vinyl ester composites in its construction. The S2-glass-reinforced composite provides ballistic protection and load bearing due to the flexural loading caused from vehicle movement over various terrains. The S2-glass-reinforced composite is subjected to different levels of delamination when impacted by projectiles. The present study focuses on the repair of S2- glass/epoxy composites subjected to a clean perforation type of ballistic impact scenario and post-repair flexural response of the composite panels. Simple repair solutions involving the use of different plugs reinforcing the damage (12.7-, 25.4-, and 38.1-mm [0.5-, 1-, and 1.5-in] clean perforations) have been implemented in S2-glass/vinyl ester laminates. Static and fatigue tests were conducted under flexural loading. The effects of implementing the repair strategies on the flexure performance have been reported.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA512465
Entities
People
- Biju Mathew
- James M. Sands
- Uday K. Vaidya
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory