Structural Behaviour of TPU Based Hybrid Laminated Structures Subjected to Static and Dynamic Perforation Loading

• Published in: Applied Composite Materials
• Main Author: Ghani M.A.B.A.; Wang Q.; Guan Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85208990935&doi=10.1007%2fs10443-024-10282-5&partnerID=40&md5=e215f937898e88148be4cc5f97cdbce9

This paper presents a study on manufacturing a range of hybrid laminated structures made of thermoplastic polyurethan (TPU), glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and metal mesh materials, and further on investigating the structural response of the TPU based composite sandwich laminated structures. These laminated structures were tested under quasi-static perforation and low velocity impact loading to determine their structural responses and energy absorption characteristics. It has been shown that three-layer and five-layer laminates with lay-ups of GFRP-TPU-GFRP or TPU-GFRP-TPU and GFRP-TPU-GFRP-TPU-GFRP or TPU-GFRP-TPU-GFRP-TPU subjected to quasi-static perforation demonstrate an increased peak load and stiffness with the core thickness from 1 to 4 mm. Also, the TPU core laminates show a superior ductility in comparison to their GFRP core counterparts. The energy absorption values of the three-layer and five-layer TPU and GFRP based laminated structures under low velocity impact are higher than those under quasi-static loading due to strain-rate effect. However, the hybrid laminates with SBR and wire mesh as a core do not give much improvement on the impact perforation resistance of the laminates with the different size of wire mesh, as metal mesh plays a less important role in the laminated structures to resist perforation. In overall, TPU-GFRP-TPU-GFRP-TPU structure with 4mm thick GFRP core demonstrates the highest peak force, and the GFRP-TPU-GFRP-TPU-GFRP structure with 4mm thick TPU core offers the highest energy absorption. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024.