Investigation of Impact Damage on GFRP/MWCNT for Structural Health Monitoring

Abstract

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the detection of Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) in composites, a crucial problem that needed to be addressed. To accomplish this, the researchers measured the resistance changes in two glass fibre layers coated with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs), embedded in the laminate, during the impact test. The results of the experiments performed at various impact energy levels indicated that resistance change could be effectively used to detect BVID. Furthermore, the maximum average resistance change ratio was found to be 9 % for 20J impact tests. The system's capability to detect repeated impact damage was further demonstrated through the execution of repeated impact tests. Additionally, the remaining strength values of the samples were determined by conducting compression tests after the impact tests. It was observed that the samples subjected to 20J impact damage experienced a loss of approximately 50 % in their strength. These findings emphasize the system's potential to predict the remaining strength of the material.