A dynamic tensile experiment was performed on a rectangular specimen of a non-crimp fabric (NCF) thermoplastic composite T700 carbon/polyamide 6.6 specimens using a split Hopkinson pressure (Kolsky) bar (SHPB). The experiment successfully provided useful information on the strain-rate sensitivity of the NCF carbon/thermoplastic material system. The average tensile strength at three varying strain rates: 700, 1400, and 2100/s was calculated and compared to the tensile strength measured from a standardized (quasi-static) procedure. The increase in tensile strength was found to be 3.5, 24.2, and 45.1% at 700, 1400, and 2100/s strain rate, respectively. The experimental findings were used as input parameters for the numerical model developed using a commercial finite element (FE) explicit solver LS-DYNA®. The dynamic FE model was validated against experimental gathering and used to predict the composite system's behavior in various engineering applications under high strain-rate loading conditions. The SHPB tension test detailed in this study provided the enhanced understanding of the T700/polyamide 6.6 composite material's behavior under different strain rates and allowed for the prediction of the material's behavior under real-world, dynamic loading conditions, such as low-velocity and high-velocity impact.
Keywords: NCF composites; composite structures; dynamic tensile; high-performance composites; numerical modelling; split Hopkinson pressure bar; strain-rate sensitivity; thermoplastic composites.