Drop weight tensile impact testing of adhesively bonded carbon/epoxy laminate joints

Abstract Crashworthiness of composite structures is a key issue for the design of lightweight vehicles. In particular the joined parts of the structures must be able to absorb a high amount of energy in order to protect the passengers. In this paper the dynamic behavior of adhesively bonded carbon/epoxy laminate joints is investigated. The adherends are made of unidirectional plies, whose orientations are carefully chosen in order to assess the influence of the adherend mechanical properties on the joint behavior. A drop weight machine has been modified in order to impact specimens under tension. Single lap joints are tested under impact tension at velocities from 1 to 4 m/s. Results of the…