The resistance to the high-velocity impact of the intra-layer hybrid plain weave composites

Numerous studies have shown that hybridization is an effective way to modulate the properties of composites. For instance, hybrid composites of ductile and brittle fibers exhibit excellent impact resistance through rational design. This study investigates hybrid plain weave composites containing carbon fiber bundles and Kevlar fiber bundles in layered configurations. Composite panels with different hybrid proportions and configurations were fabricated and tested using a one-stage gas gun to assess their resistance to high-velocity impacts, as shown in Fig. 1. The test results indicate that the pure Kevlar panel, characterized by relatively high elongation and low modulus, exhibits a higher ballistic limit velocity than the pure carbon panel. Furthermore, replacing part of the carbon fiber bundles with Kevlar bundles effectively increases the ballistic limit velocity of the composite panel. As the proportion of Kevlar in the hybrid composite panels increases, the impact damage area becomes larger, with a greater tendency for cracks and delamination. Additionally, a finite element model was developed to simulate the high-velocity impact on the hybrid plain weave composite panel, and its validity was confirmed through comparison with experimental results.