Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE Autoclave-molded CF/PEEK laminates with a high carbon fiber content of 75.06 wt% serve as the research object. The composite's energy absorption performance under varying low-velocity impact energies is analyzed, and ultrasonic C-scanning visualizes the internal damage expansion process to clarify the material's impact damage evolution rule.


ABSTRACT
Carbon fiber reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) composites possess outstanding specific strength and thermomechanical properties. These advantages make them highly suitable for demanding applications in aerospace, wind energy, and automotive industries. However, their reliability in harsh environments is often limited by susceptibility to low-velocity impact damage, such as interface delamination and fiber-matrix debonding. To address this challenge, this study fabricated CF/PEEK laminates with a high fiber mass fraction of 75.06 wt% by autoclave molding. The CF/PEEK thermoplastic laminate exhibited excellent static mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 1062.92 MPa, a flexural strength of 929.43 MPa, and an interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of 47.81 MPa. Under low-velocity impact energies ranging from 10 to 20 J, the energy absorption rate rises continuously from 56.48% to 75.89%. The laminates maintain structural integrity without perforation. It is noteworthy that even after the impact of 20 J, the residual compressive strength retention rate still remained as high as 57.13%, highlighting the excellent damage tolerance. This work confirms that the combination of high fiber content and autoclave-optimized interfacial crystallization offers an effective strategy to enhance the impact resistance and reliability of CF/PEEK composites in critical engineering applications.