Compression After Impact Testing of Composite Material

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) has a higher specific strength and rigidity than metals, and is used in aeronautics and astronautics to improve fuel consumption by reducing weight. However, CFRP only exhibits these superior properties in the direction of its fibers, and is not as strong perpendicular to its fibers or between its laminate layers. When force is applied to a CFRP laminate board, there is a possibility that delamination and matrix cracking will occur parallel to its fibers. Furthermore, CFRP is not particularly ductile, and is known to be susceptible to impacts. This article describes compression after impact (CAI) testing performed according to the ASTM D7137 (JIS K 7089) standard test method.