Impact Characterization of Polymers Composites Based on Peek and Carbon Fibres

Considering the constant expansion of the areas of application of composite materials, is increasingly crucial to deepen the research for the correct evaluation of the potential application of these materials. In this job, the determination of the impact strength value, as well as the maximum load and the rigidity of the material, has been obtained by means of an instrumented pendulum impact test. More in details, the characterization of four different composite materials, based on a polymeric matrix and reinforced with carbon fibres, will be presented. The materials tested will differ for the type of the reinforcement and the degree of crystallinity of their matrix. The influence of these factors on the aforementioned impact properties will be the presented and discussed, leading to the identification of the composite material with the best impact properties for a specific application