Processing and low velocity impact behavior of innovative composites
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composite materials are susceptible to damage under dynamic loads that, in presence of through thickness stress, can propagate and leads to failure. In order to avoid undesired damage and extend the service life of a composite structure, this work investigates different strategies that can be adopted in the manufacturing of composites by vacuum infusion process: the modification of the resin matrix by rubber addition; the hybridization of the fiber reinforcement by stacking two different kinds of fiber layers; the modification of surface characteristics of epoxy/basalt composites by plasma treatment or innovative cold spray metallization. The mechanical and low-velocity impact behavior of all realized composites has been experimentally evaluated by performing impact tests up to penetration and at increasing energy levels to get complete information on the damage modes and evolution. The experimental results confirmed the benefits of the investigated solutions over conventional solutions.