Browsing by Author "González-Chi, PI"

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    Ballistic performance of thermoplastic composite laminates made from aramid woven fabric and polypropylene matrix
    (Elsevier, 2012-06-01) Carrillo, JG; Gamboa, RA; Flores-Johnson, EA; González-Chi, PI
    The ballistic behavior of multi-layer Kevlar (R) aramid fabric/polypropylene (PP) composite laminate (CL) and plain layered aramid fabric (AF) impact specimens was investigated. It was found that the thermoplastic PP matrix increases the ballistic performance of CL targets when compared to AF targets with similar areal density, resulting in less aramid fabric needed to obtain the same level of protection when the PP matrix is incorporated. It was found that the improved ballistic performance of CL targets is due to the fact that the thermoplastic matrix enables energy absorbing mechanisms such as fabric/matrix debonding and delamination. The ballistic limit and penetration threshold energy of the CL configurations, which were predicted using an empirical model, were found to be higher than those of the AF targets. These results show that aramid fabric/PP laminates should be further studied for improved ballistic performance at lower costs. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Photoelastic evaluation of fiber surface-treatments on the interfacial performance of a polyester fiber/epoxy model composite
    (Elsevier, 2011-08-01) Flores-Johnson, EA; Vázquez-Rodríguez, JM; Herrera-Franco, PJ; González-Chi, PI
    The interfacial adhesion between a polyester fiber and an epoxy matrix was improved by chemical and topological modifications of the fiber surface. The maximum interfacial shear strength was measured using photoelasticity to assess the interfacial performance in pull-out single-fiber composite specimens. An increase of the interfacial shear strength was observed when plasma-treated or surface-modified fibers were used: also, as the applied load to the free fiber was increased, the fiber treatment caused a reduction of the debonded area at the fiber-matrix interface. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd.