Application of Micromechanical Modelling for the Evaluation of Elastic Moduli of Hybrid Woven Jute-Ramie Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites.

Agung Efriyo Hadi,Agustinus Purna Irawan,Cionita Tezara,Teuku Rihayat,Januar Parlaungan Siregar,Deni Fajar Fitriyana,Ramli Junid,Mohammad Hazim Mohamad Hamdan

doi:10.3390/polym13152572

Abstract

Woven laminated composite has gained researchers’ and industry’s interest over time due to its impressive mechanical performance compared to unidirectional composites. Nevertheless, the mechanical properties of the woven laminated composite are hard to predict. There are many micromechanical models based on unidirectional composite but limited to the woven laminated composite. The current research work was conducted to evaluate elastic moduli of hybrid jute–ramie woven reinforced unsaturated polyester composites using micromechanical effectiveness unidirectional models, such as ROM, IROM, Halpin–Tsai, and Hirsch, which are based on stiffness. The hybrid jute–ramie laminated composite was fabricated with different layering sizes, and the stacking sequence was completed via hand lay-up with the compression machine. Tensile modulus values for hybrid composites are between those for single jute and single ramie. Obtained p-values less than 0.05 prove the relationship between layering size and tensile modulus. This study showed that several micromechanical models, such as Halpin–Tsai’s predicted value of homogenized mechanical properties, were in good agreement with the experimental result. In the case of the hybrid composite, the micromechanical model deviates from the experimental result. Several modifications are required to improve the current existing model. A correlation function was calculated based on the differences between the elastic modulus values determined experimentally and those derived from each micromechanical model calculation.

Highlights

The reinforcement fibres were incorporated into the matrix polymer to increase the material’s tensile strength and stiffness, resulting in high-performance materials
Ramie fibre is among the strongest natural fibres, with high tenacity and good breaking extension in dry and wet conditions [20]
This study aims to use a micromechanical model to forecast the behaviour of hybrid woven fabrics

Summary

Introduction

The reinforcement fibres were incorporated into the matrix polymer to increase the material’s tensile strength and stiffness, resulting in high-performance materials. The researchers incorporated a variety of reinforcement types, including discontinuous and continuous fibres. While discontinuous fibres are isotropic, they generate less strength in one direction than continuous fibres. The researcher chose continuous fibre as reinforcement material to achieve greater axial strength for the composite. The laminate geometry is a frequently used geometry for continuous fibre composites. Laminated composites are formed by combining two or more sheets of reinforcing material in a matrix polymer [1]. Laminated composites are interesting because they offer significant mechanical performance and are lightweight, making them well-suited for automotive, aeronautic, sporting, and marine applications [1,2]

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