Experimental investigation of the impact response of novel steel-biocomposite hybrid materials

Recent developments in the production of technical flax fabrics allow the use of sustainable natural fibres to replace synthetic fibres in the manufacture of structural composite parts. Natural fibre reinforced biocomposites have been proven to satisfy design and structural integrity requirements but impact strength has been identified as one of their limitations. In this paper, hybridisation of the biocomposite with a metal layer has been investigated as a potential method to improve the impact resistance of natural fibre composites. The impact response of biocomposites made of flax-epoxy is investigated experimentally using a high velocity particle impactor. A high-speed camera setup was used to observe the rear surface of the plates during impact. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) of the high speed camera images was used for full-field strain measurement and to study the initiation and propagation of damage during the impact. The different modes of damage in the hybrid laminate were identified by post-impact analysis of the section of the damaged composite plate using optical microscopy. The study shows the difference in impact response for different material combinations and configurations. The hybrid construction was shown to improve the impact resistance of the flax composite.