Damage of composite materials by use of laser driven shock waves

A laser shock wave technique has been used to damage a T800/M21 CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composite made of different oriented plies. Different defects have been created according to various laser irradiation conditions and several characterization methods such as optical micrography, X-Ray radiography, or interferometric confocal microscopy have been used to measure and quantify these defects. The nature of the defects induced by the shock wave propagation has been studied. A first explanation is proposed to justify the particular geometry of the defects and their origins. The used diagnostics highlight the anisotropy of the defects created using the shock wave technique. The sensitivity of the composite material defects to the shock conditions has been observed and quantified. Moreover, experimental data useful for setting a rupture criterion for CFRP under dynamic loading have been obtained.