MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF CARBON AND JUTE FIBERS REINFORCED ALUMINIUM LAMINATES FABRICATED IN DIFFERENT STACKING SEQUENCES

Abstract

In this research work, the mechanical properties of aluminium laminates having carbon fiber reinforcement and carbon-jute fibers reinforced aluminium laminates fabricated in different stacking sequences are studied. Here the fiber metal laminates are manufactured through the hand layup technique. A compression moulding machine was used to press the laminates during the production process. In this study, carbon and jute fibers along with thin aluminium sheets are used as reinforcement. Four different stacking sequences were selected. Each arrangement is symmetric and consists of ten layers of reinforcements. The fabricated laminates were subjected to tensile, compressive, flexural, hardness and impact tests. The test results show that the laminate L2 with outermost layers of carbon fibers revealed the highest tensile strength of 268 MPa, followed by L4 laminate with jute fibers outer layers having a tensile strength of 226 MPa. Whereas, the laminates L1 and L3 with outer layers of aluminium sheets show improved flexural and impact strength along with high hardness value. The flexural strengths are 246 MPa and 204 MPa respectively. Impact strength of 36 MPa, 32 MPa and hardness value of 64 HVN and 62 HVN respectively.