Tensile and flexural mechanical attributes of hybrid carbon/basalt fiber metal laminates under various hybridization and stacking sequences

Abstract

In this work, experimental measurements and theoretical validation are adopted to examine the tensile and flexural behaviors of titanium-based carbon/basalt fiber metal laminates under various hybridization ratios and stacking sequences. Firstly, the mechanical response and damage patterns of fiber metal laminates (FMLs) subjected to different tensile and flexural loads have been explored. By observing the fracture surfaces of FMLs with various hybridization ratios and stacking sequences, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to identify the related microscopic damage patterns. The principal damage mechanism were attributed to fiber/matrix debonding, matrix microcrack, fiber pull-out, and delamination. Subsequently, to analyze the discreteness of experimental results and evaluate the theoretical flexural strength of FMLs under different conditions, the two-parameter Weibull statistics model for engineering application of FMLs was established. These results indicate that the tensile and flexural strength of FMLs can be improved by altering the hybridization ratios and stacking sequences. The thorough understanding of the mechanical behavior and failure mechanism of FMLs under various hybridization conditions can provide the basis for the design and utilization of FMLs structures.