Experimental investigation of mechanical properties of bamboo/carbon fiber reinforced hybrid polymer matrix composites

Abstract

Natural fiber composites are gaining popularity in various fields such as aerospace, automotive, and interior design due to their biodegradability, cost-effectiveness, and wide availability. Hybrid composites, which utilize both natural and synthetic fibers as reinforcement, are becoming more prevalent due to the desirable properties of each. Natural fibers possess strong damping properties and are biodegradable, while synthetic fibers have good elastic modulus. This research aimed to investigate the mechanical properties of bamboo and carbon fiber reinforced hybrid composites through tensile, flexural, and Izod tests. Hybrid composites exhibited 74.53% higher tensile strengths, 41.47% higher flexural strengths, and 182.24% higher impact strength than bamboo fiber reinforced composites. Carbon fiber reinforced composites had superior mechanical properties compared to hybrid and bamboo fiber reinforced composites, especially in terms of tensile and flexural characteristics. The study concludes that combining natural and synthetic fibers leads to composite materials with acceptable mechanical performance.