Experimental and numerical simulation study of the performance of the polyphenylene sulfide thermoplastic composite reinforced with carbon fibers under high-velocity impact of projectiles with different geometries

Nowadays, thermoplastic composites have gained significant popularity in various industries due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. The aim of the current research is to investigate the ballistic performance of a four-layer thermoplastic composite under high-velocity impact. This composite utilizes polyphenylene sulfide as the matrix material and carbon fibers as the reinforcing phase. In this study, the composite was first fabricated with a symmetric layering configuration [0/90/90/0] using a hot press method, and its mechanical properties were determined through tensile testing. Subsequently, high-velocity impact tests were conducted on sample specimens, and the exit velocities of the projectiles were measured using a high-speed camera. Additionally, numerical simulations of these high-velocity impacts were performed using the finite element software LS-DYNA, and the results were compared and validated against experimental data. In these simulations, three different projectile geometries, namely, flat-nosed, conical, and spherical, were employed. Ultimately, based on the numerical and experimental outcomes, it was determined that the fabricated composite was capable of absorbing a significant amount of energy from the impacting projectiles. The highest energy absorption was observed at an initial velocity of 120 meters per second, corresponding to the flat-nosed projectile with a 65.67% absorption rate, while the lowest was associated with the conical projectile, with a 36.66% absorption rate.