A study of composite material damage induced by laser shock waves

A laser shock wave technique has been used to study the damage tolerance of T800/M21 CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composite material with different lay-ups. Different levels of damage have been created according to various laser irradiation conditions. Several characterization methods such as Optical Microscopy, X-ray Radiography, or Interferometric Confocal Microscopy have been used to quantify these defects. The nature of the defects induced by the shock wave propagation has been studied. The sensitivity of the composite material damage to the shock conditions has been shown and quantified. Moreover, the experimental results gathered with each technique have been compared to each other and it leads to a better understanding of the CFRP behavior under high dynamic loading. These original results have enabled the definition of a specific damage criterion for CFRP under dynamic loading.