Effect of rubber interleaving on the charpy impact properties of basalt fiber reinforced polymers

Basalt fiber-reinforced polymers (BFRPs) offer a balance between the high performance of carbon fibers and the cost-effectiveness of E-glass fibers. Yet, poor interaction between the basalt fiber and polymer matrix hinders the full potential of the BFRP in dynamic applications. Herein, a rubber foil interleave is proposed to improve energy absorption and interfacial adhesion in BFRP. BFRP with and without rubber interleaves are fabricated using the vacuum-assisted technique and tested via Charpy impact in flatwise and edgewise configurations. Even after mass normalization, rubber-interleaved BFRP exhibits a 39% improvement in energy absorption when tested in the flatwise configuration. The incorporation of a rubber interleave reduces the damage area caused by impact loading and prevents delamination and crushing near the impact region in both edgewise and flatwise testing configurations.