Compression-after-impact behaviors of fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites: A comprehensive review

Fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites, especially laminated composites, have been widely used as load-bearing structural materials. The susceptibility of their compressive performance to impact-induced damage has led to numerous research work investigating the mechanical behaviors of damaged composites under compressive loading. Compression-after-impact (CAI) testing has been commonly used to determine the residual strength of the impacted composites and investigate their failure behaviors. It provides great design guidelines for the load-bearing composite materials used in various applications such as aerospace, aviation, etc. This comprehensive review summarizes the recent progress in CAI testing and analysis as well as important findings discovered and reported. The effects of different variables, including impact energy level, fiber type and architecture, fiber stacking sequence, preloading, temperature, repair, etc. on the CAI performance of composite materials are illustrated. The failure mechanisms of the composites after CAI testing are reviewed. The perspectives and future work on CAI testing of laminated composites are finally described. This review provides insights to guide the development of more damage-tolerant composites.