Mechanical Investigation of S-Glass/Carbon Fibers Reinforced Epoxy Polymer Matrix Composites

Abstract

Fiber-based hybrid composite materials are used for variety of industrial purposes going on from automotive to many engineering fields such as structural, aerospace because of unique properties compared over conventional materials. Fiber based hybrid composites have greatly long-drawn-out o varying applications in today's automotive industry reason behind is due their light weight, high strength, stiffness and ease of repair. This work aims to create a novel type of hybrid composite made by reinforcing S-glass (satin type) & carbon (twill form) in an epoxy matrix. Pure and hybrid composites are made by manual laying with 0° orientation of each fiber layer and the action has been tested with different combinations of each layer of S-glass and carbon and finally with a hybrid subjected to different mechanical stresses. The fiber matrix for the hybrid is created in a 50:50 ratio. Pure samples of fiberglass and carbon fiber-epoxy composites were compared to hybrid samples. The results showed that the hybrid samples outperformed the pure forms of the composite in mechanical tests, due to the presence of carbon fiber on the end faces of the sample, which offers the hybrid form's superior mechanical properties.