Abstract: In order to study the impact resistance of carbon fiber composite laminates to spherical projectiles, the high-speed impact experimental tests of the laminates to projectile were carried out by using the one stage gas gun, and the impact process of the projectile target was recorded by high-speed camera. The damage area of laminated plates was detected by C-scan imaging and microscopy, and also the energy absorption rate, damage mode and energy absorption mechanism of the laminated plates were analyzed under different impact velocities. The results show that the residual velocity decreases firstly and then increases with the increase of the initial velocity of projectile, while the change rate of the residual velocity increases firstly and then decreases. When the initial velocity of the projectile is relatively low, the laminated plate mainly absorbs the kinetic energy of the projectile through its stratification. With the increase of the initial velocity of the projectile, the impact response time and delamination area of the laminate decrease. Fiber fracture becomes the main mode of energy absorption, and the energy absorption of the laminate decreases rapidly.

Key words: high speed impact, composite laminate, ballistic limit, energy absorption, failure mode