Enhancing damage tolerance of woven carbon fiber/vinylester composites with Aramid pulp interlaminar reinforcement for the Arctic environment

This study investigates the feasibility of enhancing the damage tolerance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites using Aramid pulp as an interlaminar reinforcement under low-velocity impact (LVI) conditions at Arctic temperatures (AT). Woven carbon fiber and vinyl-ester resin laminates were fabricated with and without Aramid pulp reinforcement and subjected to drop-weight impact tests at various energy levels (5, 10, 15, and 20 J). The study compares the LVI performance of Aramid pulp- reinforced and unreinforced (pristine) CFRPs at room temperature (RT, 25°C) and AT (−60°C), focusing on key parameters such as contact force, displacement, and energy absorption. Results show that AT positively affected the CFRP laminates, increasing peak impact forces and bending stiffness while resulting in less damage compared to samples impacted at RT. However, AT also reduced displacement, as the increased rigidity and stiffness limited laminate deflection. Aramid pulp-reinforced laminates demonstrated higher peak forces and bending stiffness than pristine samples across all impact energies and temperatures. Additionally, reinforced samples exhibited reduced deflection and damage compared to pristine samples under all tested conditions. Fractographic analysis revealed matrix cracking as the primary failure mode, with less damage in Aramid pulp-reinforced and AT samples. These findings demonstrate that Aramid pulp reinforcement improves the impact resistance and stiffness of CFRP laminates, particularly at AT, making them more suitable for harsh environmental applications.