Experimental and numerical analysis of normal and oblique ballistic impacts on thin carbon/epoxy woven laminates

14 pages, 17 figures.A finite element numerical model for carbon/epoxy woven laminates has been used to predict residual velocity and damaged area when subjected to high impact velocities. Experiments using a gas gun were conducted to investigate the impact process and to validate the model, measuring the two variables previously indicated. A morphology analysis was also made to investigate the different breakage mechanisms that appear during the penetration process. The influence of the impact velocity and obliquity has been studied using the numerical tool, in a wide range of impact velocities and considering two impact angles, 0° and 45°.The authors are indebted to the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología of Spain for the financial support of this work (Project MAT98-0273).Publicad