Ricerc@Sapienza

Thermoplastic fiber metal laminates (TFMLs) represent a relatively new class of fiber metal laminates (FMLs) specifically designed to overcome the limitations of conventional fiber metal laminates in terms of the elevated processing temperatures and pressures required for their consolidation. In this work the low velocity impact response of TFMLs based on aluminum alloy and a polypropylene (PP) matrix reinforced with basalt fibers has been experimentally addressed, by considering the effect of the stacking sequence and of the impact temperature.

Nowadays, there is a growing interest for the use and development of materials synthesized from renewable sources in the polymer composites manufacturing industry; this applies for both matrix and reinforcement components. In the present research, flax fibers embedded in an epoxy resin have been proposed as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional synthetic composites. In addition, this material system has been combined with agglomerated cork as core material for the fabrication of sandwich structures.

In the present study, the hybridisation of ductile viscose (Danufil) and stiff basalt fibres was investigated. The aim was to combine the positive properties of both fibre types in an epoxy matrix. Composites (round rods) were produced with a fibre volume fraction of 40% with a pultrusion technique from Danufil, basalt and a mixture of Danufil and basalt fibres. The hybrid composites were produced on the one hand with a unidirectional (UD) Danufil core and a UD basalt outer layer and vice versa.