Low-velocity impact response of halloysite nanotube reinforced glass/epoxy multi-scale composite. Part 1: Dynamic loading performance

One of the biggest obstacles to fiber-reinforced composite laminates is out-of-plane dynamic loading. Specifically, low-velocity impact loading in an out-of-plane direction leads to matrix cracking, delamination, and fiber breakage damages due to weak fiber-matrix interactions. This paper aims to examine the dynamic loading behavior of nano reinforced glass/epoxy composite laminates under various impact energies. Moreover, to enhance fiber-matrix interaction, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with lower cost among the nanotube morphologies such as carbon and TiO2 were introduced to the epoxy matrix. The impact performance and the damage propagation were also investigated. As a result, the HNT-reinforced multiscale composite sample had 28% more impact load carrying capacity and absorbed 18% less energy than its unmodified counterpart. Image processing was utilized to determine the damage evaluation by analyzing both front and back surfaces. The improvement of the fiber-matrix interface with HNTs reinforcement resulted 59% and 46% less damage to the front and back damage surfaces, respectively. The acquired results were supported by macro-size examination and micro-size analyzing via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These results pave the way towards designing fiber reinforced composites to be utilized for the transportation of dangerous liquids such as acids or solvents.