Experimental investigations on the fatigue behavior of hybrid basalt/glass fiber epoxy composites

Abstract

AbstractTo expand the applications of hybrid fiber composites in structural engineering applications, it is essential to study their fatigue behavior. The tensile and fatigue performance of unidirectional hybrid basalt/glass epoxy composites made with vacuum‐assisted resin infusion molding are investigated in this research. The sequencing influence on tensile properties was assessed using the two configurations of basalt/glass fiber epoxy hybrid fiber composites, namely GBBBG and BGBGB, having nearly equal volume fractions. According to the test results, hybrid fiber composites showed a positive hybrid effect on their tensile strength. Both hybrid layups showed higher tensile strengths (3.5% to 10.5%) than GFRPs and BFRPs. The GBBBG laminate has slightly higher fatigue resistance than BGBGB laminate under tension–tension (T–T) fatigue. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images verify the fatigue failure modes, which include fiber, matrix cracking, delamination, and debonding. The DMA analysis showed the lower adhesion efficiency of hybrid fiber composites, signifying lower damping properties.