Low cost ceramic moulding composites (CMCs) are composed of inorganic metal silicates, fillers and different types of chopped fibre reinforcements such as glass fibres (AR50/1 or AR62/2). The impact properties of CMCs were investigated by instrumented falling weight impact testing. Variations in impact energy absorption were examined as a function of fibre length and volume fraction. Processing and moulding conditions were also studied, revealing differences in interfacial shear strength between matrix and reinforcement when different moulding temperatures were used. This in turn induced differences in energy absorption during impact testing.
