Experimental study on flexural strength of stitched foam composites

Abstract

Sandwich composites and laminate composites are considered as major classes of lightweight structures in a wide range of engineering applications. Lightweight potential of fabric has demonstrated the specific mechanical properties of sandwich composites with or without core material. Many studies have shown that tension, compression, flexure, stress is improved or degraded up to 20% by a stitched process. The present paper focuses on the study of structural improvements of stitched foam composite and also to compare it with unstitched composite of the same glass fiber material. The use of vacuum bagging process to make the stitched foam composite structure and a simple hand lay-up technique for unstitched composite. These composites are made by using E Glass fiber 180GSM, aradur hy 951 hardener, Araldite ly 556 epoxy resin and glass fiber yarn. For stitched foam composite, laminates are stitched in transverse direction i.e., through thickness direction with high strength yarn. 3-point bending test is done to find flexural strength of both composites and compare their results stitched sample showed higher value of flexural strength and flexural rigidity after three-point bending test the strength of stitched composite is 40% more than unstitched composite material.