Study on the damage behavior of carbon fiber composite after low‐velocity impact under hygrothermal aging

Abstract In this article, T800 carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite was subjected to hygrothermal aging. By analyzing the mass change, surface morphology before and after aging, infrared spectra, and dynamic mechanical properties, the effect of hygrothermal aging on the composite properties was studied. The hygrothermal aging of the composite after low‐velocity impact, the effects of environmental factors on the damaged area, and the post‐impact compression properties of composites were studied. The results showed that the saturation moisture absorption rate of the composite after aging (71°C constant temperature) was 0.88%. Upon increasing the impact energy, an indentation appeared before the inflection point at 35 J. When the impact energy was less than 15 J, aging did not affect invisible damage. Above this, the damaged area and number of internal cracks and defects in the composite were increased. After aging, the compressive strength of composite laminates with impact damage decreased obviously. During the aging stage, the residual compressive strength of the sample was the lowest in the moisture saturated state, and hygrothermal aging had little effect on the compression failure mode after impact.