Investigation of the Influence of Impactor Geometry on the Low‐Velocity Impact Behavior of Hybrid Composite Pipes

ABSTRACT This study investigates the low‐velocity impact behavior of filament‐wound composite pipes reinforced with carbon and basalt fibers. Four types of six‐layer pipes were fabricated: a carbon fiber/epoxy composite (CCC), a basalt fiber/epoxy composite (BBB), and two hybrid carbon‐basalt composites (CBC and BCB). All specimens were subjected to 20 J drop‐weight impact tests using three different impactor geometries (hemispherical, conical, and pyramidal). Force–time and force–displacement responses were recorded, and post‐impact damage was examined via cross‐sectional microscopy. The results show that fiber type and impactor shape significantly affect impact performance. The BBB exhibited the highest peak force and minimal internal damage due to its higher ductility, whereas the CCC showed lower peak force and extensive damage due to its brittleness. Hybrid composites showed intermediate behavior: the BCB achieved higher peak forces than the CBC, which was more prone to brittle failure. Hemispherical impactors produced higher peak forces and smaller deflections, whereas sharp impactors (conical and pyramidal) caused lower peak forces, deeper penetration, and more severe damage. These findings demonstrate that incorporating basalt fibers improves the impact resistance of composite pipes and that impactor geometry plays a crucial role in damage development. These insights can inform the design of impact‐tolerant composite structures for aerospace, automotive, and pressure vessel applications.