Effect of fiber layering arrangement on mechanical and wear properties of flax/sisal hybrid composite laminates

Abstract

To promote ecofriendly structures in engineering applications, natural fibers are preferred over the synthetic fibers in fiber reinforced polymer composite materials. However, understanding the behaviour of the natural fiber composite laminates under static and dynamic load conditions is an important aspect for the correct usage of these materials. In the present study, the effect of layering arrangement of hybrid laminates made of natural fibers on mechanical and wear characteristics have been concentrated on. In order to study the effect of layering arrangement efficiently, two different natural fibers, flax and sisal, having considerable difference in elastic modulus were preferred. All the natural fiber hybrid laminates were prepared by hand layup method. The fabricated natural fiber laminates were tested for mechanical and wear characteristics as per the ASTM standards. The fiber layering arrangement with high modulus flax fiber plied in the surface layer showed improved mechanical and wear characteristics that is beneficial for structural applications.