International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology - IRJIET International Open Access, Monthly, Peer Reviewed, Reputed Journal ISSN (online): 2581-3048

Impact Factor (2025): 6.9

DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET

Quasi-Static Indentation Testing of Nature-Inspired Multiangle Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites

Abstract

This study investigates the quasi-static indentation response of four bio-inspired CFRP laminates with distinct stacking sequences: [0/±40/55]s, [±30/±40]s, [0/55/-35/75]s, [0/65/80/75]s, and a conventional laminate [0/±45/90]s. Inspired by helicoidal arrangements in shrimp, maple leaf, avocado pear, salmon fish, and conventional fibre architectures, these laminates were tested under quasi-static indentation to evaluate damage resistance, energy absorption, and failure modes. Results revealed that the [±30/±40]s and [0/65/80/75]s configurations exhibited the highest energy absorption (29.8 J) and (26.3 J) respectively, outperforming the quasi-isotropic [0/±45/90]s baseline. This work highlights the potential of nature-derived stacking sequences for enhancing CFRP impact tolerance in aerospace and marine applications.

Country : Nigeria

1 Lateef Afolabi Fashola2 Daerefa-a Mitsheal Amafabia3 Opukuro David-West

  1. School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
  2. Rivers State University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
  3. School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

IRJIET, Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2025 pp. 75-80

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2025.905010

Full Paper
Download

References

  1. Pilato LA and Michno MJ. (1994), Advanced Composite Materials.
  2. Baker AA, Jones R, and Callinan RJ. (1985), Damage tolerance of graphite/epoxy composites, Composite Structures. 4(1).
  3. Takeda N, Sierakowski RL and Malvern LE. (1982), Microscopic observations of cross sections of impacted composite laminates, Compos Technol Rev. 4(2).
  4. Xu LY. (1994), Interaction between matrix cracking and edge delamination in composite laminates, Composites Science and Technology. 50(4).
  5. Wisnom MR and Hallett SR. (2009), The role of delamination in strength, failure mechanism and hole size effect in open hole tensile tests on quasi-isotropic laminates, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 40(4).
  6. O’Higgins RM, McCarthy MA, and McCarthy CT. (2008), Comparison of open hole tension characteristics of high strength glass and carbon fibre-reinforced composite materials, Composites Science and Technology. 68(13).
  7. Ghelli D and Minak G. (2011), Low velocity impact and compression after impact tests on thin carbon/epoxy laminates, Composites Part B: Engineering. 42(7).
  8. Ishikawa T, Sugimoto S, Matsushima M, and Hayashi Y. (1995), Some experimental findings in compression-after-impact (CAI) tests of CF/PEEK (APC-2) and conventional CF/epoxy flat plates, Composites Science and Technology. 55(4).
  9. Abrate S. (2001), Modeling of impacts on composite structures. Composite Structures. 51(2).
  10. Lammerant L and Verpoest I. (1996), Modelling of the interaction between matrix cracks and delaminations during impact of composite plates. Composites Science and Technology. 56(10).
  11. Cantwell WJ and Morton J. (1989), Comparison of the low and high velocity impact response of CFRP. Composites. 20(6).
  12. Bouvet C, Castanié B, Bizeul M, Barrau JJ. (2009), Low velocity impact modelling in laminate composite panels with discrete interface elements, International Journal of Solids and Structures. 46:14-15.
  13. Guan Z, He W, Chen J, Liu L. (2014), Permanent indentation and damage creation of laminates with different composite systems: An experimental investigation, Polymer Composites. 35(5).
  14. Yahaya R, Sapuan SM, Jawaid M, Leman Z, Zainudin ES. (2014), Quasi-static penetration and ballistic properties of kenaf-aramid hybrid composites, Materials and Design. 63.
  15. Wagih A, Maimí P, Blanco N, Costa J. (2016), A quasi-static indentation test to elucidate the sequence of damage events in low velocity impacts on composite laminates, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 82.
  16. Dong H, Li X, Li Y, Qian H, Su Z. (2023), Damage mechanisms of bismaleimide matrix composites under transverse loading via quasi-static indentation. Science and Engineering of Composite Materials. 30(1):20220181.
  17. Huo, Lubin, René Alderliesten, and MojtabaSadighi. (2023), Delamination initiation in fully clamped rectangular CFRP laminates subjected to out-of-plane quasi-static indentation loading. Composite Structures 303:116316.
  18. Verma, L., Andrew, J.J., Sivakumar, S.M. Balaganesan, G., Vedantam, S. and Dhakal, H.N. (2021), “Evaluation of quasi-static indentation response of superelastic shape memory alloy embedded GFRP laminates using AE monitoring." Polymer testing 93: 106942.
  19. Abisset, E, Daghia, F., Sun, XC., Wisnom, M. R. and Hallett, S. R. (2016), Interaction of inter-and intralaminar damage in scaled quasi-static indentation tests: Part 1 - Experiments, Composite Structures. 136.
  20. Körbelin, J., Goralski, P., Kötter, B., Bittner, F., Endres, H. J., and Fiedler, B. (2021). Damage tolerance and notch sensitivity of bio-inspired thin-ply Bouligand structures. Composites Part C: Open Access, 5, 100146.
  21. Zhang, J., Niu, W., Li, Y., Wu, X., Guo, Z., and Luan, Y. (2024). Mechanical performance and optimization strategies of mantis shrimp rod inspired beam structural composites. Journal of Materials Research, 39(9), 1437-1448.
  22. Gao, D., Chen, P., Zhao, Y., Lu, G., and Yang, H. (2023). Physical Mechanism and Resistance Characteristics of Nacre-Like Composites for Two-Point Impact. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 1-18.
  23. Sharma, A., Shukla, N.K., Belarbi, M.O., Abbas, M., Garg, A., Li, L., Bhutto, J. and Bhatia, A., (2023). Bio-inspired nacre and helicoidal composites: from structure to mechanical applications. Thin-Walled Structures, 192, p.111146.
  24. Li, N., Du, J., Liu, R., Lee, H. M., and Lee, H. P. (2025). A comparative analysis of quasi-static indentation and low-velocity impact on the free edges of CFRP composite laminates. Composites Part B: Engineering, 298, 112395.
  25. ASTM D6264-21. (2023), Standard Test Method for Measuring the Damage Resistance of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-Matrix Composite to a Concentrated Quasi-Static Indentation Force.
  26. Chlupová, A., Poloprudský, J., Nag, A., Klichová, D., Souček, K., Pude, F., and Hloch, S. (2025). Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) quantification of erosion wear and delamination of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). Wear, 205957.
  27. Grunenfelder, L. K., Suksangpanya, N., Salinas, C., Milliron, G., Yaraghi, N., Herrera, S., ... and Kisailus, D. (2014). Bio-inspired impact-resistant composites. Acta biomaterialia, 10(9), 3997-4008.
  28. Raspall, F., Velu, R., and Vaheed, N. M. (2019). Fabrication of complex 3D composites by fusing automated fiber placement (AFP) and additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science, 5(1), 6-16.
  29. Bouvet, C., and Rivallant, S. (2023). Damage tolerance of composite structures under low-velocity impact. In Dynamic deformation, damage and fracture in composite materials and structures (pp. 3-28). Woodhead Publishing.
  30. Zhang, W., Xu, J., and Yu, T. X. (2022). Dynamic behaviours of bio-inspired structures: Design, mechanisms, and models. Engineering Structures, 265, 114490.

Copyright @ 2026-2017 IRJIET. All Right Reserved.

Developed by Byzero Technologies