Fiber Hybrid Composites Research Articles

Interlaminar fracture toughness of flax, carbon, and hybrid flax carbon‐woven fiber‐reinforced composites

AbstractThe effect of the asymmetric distribution of woven flax fiber on the interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) is investigated experimentally via a double cantilever beam test, and the results are backed by analytical and numerical analysis. Four hybrid configurations are fabricated with different stacking sequences of (CFRP) and flax fiber‐reinforced polymer (FFRP) plies. The results of hybrid specimens are compared with those of all CFRP and all FFRP specimens. The hybrid composite with one carbon/flax fiber layer at the interface requires the highest critical energy release rate, GC, to initiate cracks. A resin layer on top of the flax plies and a carbon fiber imprint in that layer are observed, thus signifying an increase in GC for the hybrid composites with dissimilar interface layers. Varying the number of carbon/flax fiber layers at the interface adversely affects GC. Mode II contribution to the GC was verified analytically for asymmetric hybrid configurations. The agreement between experimental, numerical, and analytical results is excellent. The hybridization of flax with carbon enhances the fracture toughness of CFRP while providing an opportunity to achieve lightweight, high‐performance, and eco‐friendly structures.Highlights Flax fiber is used to increase the fracture toughness (GC) of CFRP Asymmetric carbon/flax fiber hybrid composites are designed for this purpose One interface carbon/flax hybrid exhibits a 70% increase in GC Blocking the plies together results in reduced GC and mode‐II fracture as well Numerical and analytical analysis agrees well with experimental results

Optimized Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Glass and Caustic Soda-Treated Banana Fibre Hybrid Composites

Optimized Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Glass and Caustic Soda-Treated Banana Fibre Hybrid Composites

Hygrothermal aging and durability prediction of 3D-printed hybrid fiber composites with continuous carbon/Kevlar-fiber and short carbon-fiber

Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Polymers (HFRP) have excellent mechanical properties. However, preparation with 3D-printing technology is prone to hydrothermal aging compared to conventional method. Currently, complex hygrothermal aging and degradation mechanisms of 3D-printed HFRP are still unclear. Thus, hygrothermal aging and durability prediction of 3D-printed HFRP with continuous carbon/Kevlar-fiber and short carbon-fiber are studied, which considers four typical stacking sequences. All experimental samples are manufactured by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printing. The artificial accelerate aging testing is conducted on samples at different times, and then flexural testing is adopted to evaluate the residual mechanical properties and failure modes. The results show that the stacking sequence significantly influences the moisture absorption behaviors, and [OC4O2K4]S absorbed more moisture than [OK4O2C4]S. During the aging process, the flexural properties of the 3D-printed HFRP first decrease rapidly and then keep stable. Among them, [OK4O2C4]S have the fastest degradation but possessed the highest residual strength. OC8O4K8O possess the slowest degradation but have a lower residual strength. The morphologies and micro failure modes/mechanisms are analyzed to explain the significant mechanical degradation. Finally, the Arrhenius relationship is adopted to accurately predict and analyze the degradation evolution process of specimens. This work offers a novel perspective on the hygrothermal aging and durability of 3D-printed HFRP.

The Impact of Filler Made of Acacia Concinna Pods and Fiber Treatment on the Water Absorption Properties of Kenaf Fiber Hybrid Composites

The Impact of Filler Made of Acacia Concinna Pods and Fiber Treatment on the Water Absorption Properties of Kenaf Fiber Hybrid Composites

Exploring Water Absorption Behaviors on Mechanical Properties of Wheat Straw-Glass Fiber Hybrid Composites for Sustainable Engineering Solutions

The study explores the enhancement of epoxy composite performance by adding glass fiber and wheat straw, revealing improved tensile strength and hardness compared to unreinforced epoxy. Using a hand-layup procedure, glass fibers and wheat straw are incorporated unidirectionally into an epoxy resin matrix. This study aims to explore how different fiber volume fractions and moisture absorption over two months affect the tensile strength and hardness of hybrid composites. The tensile strength and hardness of weathered specimens are found to be lower values than those of raw samples because of the degradation of the structural integrity of the fibers during water absorption. After being exposed to water, the tensile strength was 20 wt. % fiber composite sample was reduced by roughly 32.43 %. A marginal decline in hardness of 5.63% occurred for 20 wt. % hybrid composite. The morphology of the composites after the tensile test and the interactions between the fibers and the epoxy matrix in the as-cast and weathered samples were investigated using SEM. Perfect fiber-matrix bonding was apparent in as-cast composites. However, fiber swellings and de-bonding in the fiber matrix due to voids and moisture absorption were observed in weathered specimens, which reduced the tensile strength and hardness.

Exploring mechanical properties of eco-friendly hybrid epoxy composites reinforced with sisal, hemp, and glass fibers

It is now widely accepted that various subsets of hybrid fiber composites reinforced with combined natural and synthetic fibers can significantly expand the applicability of composite-based materials in design and technology practice. The already existing unnatural circumstances on the planet put natural fibers far ahead of traditions in the field of materials thanks to their biodegradability characteristics, availability and over-term endurance and corrosion resistance. At the same time, composites are rapidly taking their place in many industries and sectors of the economy as metals in as much as it is economically and energetically justified. This study evaluates the mechanical properties of hybrid composites reinforced with glass, hemp, and sisal fibers. Using a hand lay-up method with epoxy resin, composite laminates were fabricated and tested for tensile, flexural, impact strengths and hardness test in accordance with ASTM standards. The experimental results revealed that glass-sisal fiber composites achieved the highest tensile strength of 69.1 MPa, while glass-hemp-sisal fiber composites exhibited superior flexural strength of 15.22 MPa and impact strength of 137.45 kJ/m2 while best hardness value was 24.73 HV for glass-sisal fibre composite. These findings underscore the potential of glass-sisal-hemp fiber-reinforced epoxy composites as viable alternatives to traditional synthetic fiber-reinforced materials in automotive industry where there are no structural loadings i.e. automobile interiors; offering enhanced mechanical performance and sustainability.

Impact of graphite on tribo‐mechanical, structural, and thermal behaviors of polyoxymethylene copolymer/glass fiber hybrid composites via Taguchi optimization

AbstractUnique hybrid thermoplastic composites based on polyoxymethylene copolymer (POM C), 10 wt.% glass fiber (GF) and graphite (Grt) filler at 1, 3, and 5 wt.% were developed using injection molding technique. According to the Taguchi L16 orthogonal array, present experiments were carried out with the aim of determining the coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR) under a range of loads (namely, 5, 10, 20, and 30 N), sliding speeds (namely, 200, 400, 600, and 800 rpm), and run times (namely, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min) with varying wt.% of Grt (namely, 1, 3, and 5 wt.%) throughout the experiment. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the most significant factors that affect the output functions (viz., COF and SWR). The findings demonstrated that POM C/10GF composites' tribo‐mechanical, structural, and thermal properties were considerably improved upon by including Grt. Various microscopical methods were also employed to study the wear mechanisms of the composites and the surface morphology of the worn samples. The POM C/10GF with a 3 wt.% of Grt exhibited superior tribological properties owing to its enhanced interfacial bonding characteristics, resulting to increased wear resistance.Highlights Injection molded POM C/10GF hybrid composites with 1, 3, and 5 wt.% graphite (Grt) Structural, thermal, chemical, tribo‐mechanical and microstructural studies Design of experiment with variable loads, times, speeds, and Grt compositions COF and specific wear resistance as response Optimization of hybrid composite composition using Taguchi L16 orthogonal array

Non-planar additive manufacturing of pre-impregnated continuous fiber reinforced composites using a three-axis printer

Non-planar additive manufacturing (AM) demonstrates great potential in enhancing interlayer bonding force and surface smoothness of parts, offering a more flexible design and manufacturing approach for continuous fiber composites to fully exploit material capabilities. This study developed a three-axis printer utilizing an adjustable fiber printing head that can achieve non-planar slicing (NPS) AM of pre-impregnated continuous fibers. The research delves into the influence of deposition inclined angle on the surface roughness of printed samples, enabling the design and printing of NPS samples using continuous carbon fiber (CF), glass fiber (GF), and hybrid fiber composites. The investigation also assesses bending failure morphologies of the printed parts and validates the efficacy of the NPS method through the fabrication of the double-sinusoidal curved surface structure and spherical surface grid structure. The results indicated that maintaining a deposition inclined angle below 15° is crucial to ensure surface accuracy in continuous fiber printed parts. Curved surface bending samples printed with NPS method exhibit substantial enhancements in bending performance and surface accuracy compared to those produced using planar slicing (PS). The NPS-CF sample achieves a remarkable increase of over 170% in maximum bending force and a 63% reduction in surface roughness compared to the PS-CF sample.

Signal de-noising based on ICEEMDAN for delamination detection by phased array ultrasonic testing

Abstract Aiming at the problem of clutter noise of inter-layer reflections that occurs in multilayer heterogeneous medium such as hybrid fibre composites during ultrasonic inspection, a signal de-noising method based on the improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN) is proposed in this paper. In the method, the cross-correlation coefficient is utilized to identify the intrinsic mode function (IMF) that is related to raw ultrasonic signal. Particularly, the root mean square error (RMSE), as selection criterions, are employed conjunctively to sift the optimal IMF among selected decomposition signals. Hilbert transform is used to extract the envelope of the signal after removing the interlayer reflection noise. Experimental results show that, the proposed method can adaptively decompose the non-stationary ultrasonic signal into several IMFs with different spectrum so as to dealing with clutter noises. For delaminate detection by phased array ultrasonic testing for hybrid fibre composites, structural noises are significantly suppressed in the reconstructed signal that retains the distinct echo characteristics of a delaminated defect.

Synthesis and characteristics of natural fiber reinforced nano hybrid composite – an experimental study

Abstract Recently, research on natural hybrid composites has occupied a significant role in the materials science sector. Due to the low density, high specific strength, dimensional stability, and biodegradability, natural fiber composite has become a predominant research area. The present study deals with the fabrication of a jute–banana fiber hybrid composite using the hand layup method with compression molding. A fixed concentration of 5 % carbon nanotubes (CNT) is included over the fiber surfaces as an additional reinforcement material to improve their thermal and electrical conduction properties. The prepared composite material is subjected to different fiber loading (0, 10, 20, and 30 wt.%) with jute and banana weight ratios of 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1. The investigation is conducted for testing the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the prepared composites along with morphological studies. Final results revealed a maximum longitudinal tensile strength of 68.8 MPa, 67.0 MPa, and 86.7 MPa and the maximum transverse tensile strength of 41.2 MPa, 40.5 MPa, and 48.0 MPa at 30 wt.% with respective fiber ratio of 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1. The maximum longitudinal flexural strength of this hybrid composite is noticed as 94 MPa, 90 MPa, and 103 MPa for the weight ratio of 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1. Higher impact energy is obtained for the composition ratio of 1:3 (JBC 1:3) which has more banana fiber than the other two. A new attempt at adding carbon nanotubes has improved their thermal conductivity compared to regular composites of jute–banana.

Viscoelastic Performance of Bagasse/Glass Fiber Hybrid Epoxy Composites: Effects of Fiber Hybridization on Storage Modulus, Loss Modulus, and Damping Behavior

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the viscoelastic properties of bagasse/glass fiber multilayered hybrid reinforced epoxy composites, focusing on how fiber hybridization affects dynamic mechanical performance. Epoxy composites with various layering sequences, including all-glass (AG), all-bagasse (AB), bagasse-glass-bagasse (BGB), and glass-bagasse-glass (GBG), were fabricated and analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to measure storage modulus (E'), loss modulus (E''), and damping factor (tan δ). The results showed that hybrid composites (GBG and BGB) experienced a decrease in storage modulus by approximately 25% compared to AG, indicating enhanced polymer molecular chain mobility and improved interfacial adhesion between bagasse fibers and the epoxy matrix. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was slightly lower in hybrid composites, with GBG at 61 °C and BGB at 60 °C, compared to 62 °C for AG. In terms of energy dissipation, AG exhibited the highest loss modulus peak at 62 °C, while AB showed the lowest with a Tg at 53 °C. The damping factor analysis revealed that AB had the highest damping peak (tan δ = 0.9) at 61 °C, although this occurred at a lower temperature than the AG composite (tan δ = 0.7 at 76 °C). These findings suggest that bagasse and glass fiber hybrid composites offer tailored viscoelastic properties, making them suitable for applications in automotive components, aerospace structures, and sports equipment.

Microwave-assisted fabrication of high-strength natural fiber hybrid composites for sustainable applications: An experimental and computational study

The present study deals with the fabrication of hybrid composites using biodegradable and ecologically friendly natural fibers and a recyclable thermoplastic matrix. Pure and hybrid natural fiber composites of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with Kenaf and Ramie fiber, 20 wt%, were fabricated using microwave-assisted compression molding. The composite's mechanical characterization was performed using tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness tests. X-ray diffraction was done to investigate the crystallinity percentage, and scanning electron microscopy of fractured surfaces was performed to determine failure mechanisms. The hybrid composite of HDPE/Ramie and Kenaf exhibited the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) at 29.3 ± 1.2 MPa, surpassing HDPE/Kenaf (21.6 ± 1.1 MPa) and HDPE/Ramie (24.3 ± 1.4 MPa) composites. In terms of flexural strength, HDPE/Ramie demonstrated the highest at 19.9 ± 1.5 MPa, while HDPE/Kenaf had the lowest at 18 ± 1.1 MPa. The hybrid composite's flexural strength was intermediate at 19 ± 1.3 MPa. Impact strength followed a similar trend, with the hybrid composite leading at 40.2 KJ/m2, followed by HDPE/Ramie (26.9 KJ/m2) and HDPE/Kenaf (12.3 KJ/m2). Hardness tests revealed the highest hardness in the hybrid composite and the lowest in HDPE/Kenaf. A computational study has been performed to develop a model for predicting the hybrid composites. A strong agreement between both studies has been observed. The developed composite is deemed suitable for various light-duty applications, such as roofing, car interior panels, and mobile covers, offering potential benefits in reducing carbon footprint.

Investigation on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Jute/Carbon Fiber Hybrid Composites with the Inclusion of Crab Shell Powder

Investigation on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Jute/Carbon Fiber Hybrid Composites with the Inclusion of Crab Shell Powder

Hybrid effect of graphite and carbon fibers on thermal properties of copper/graphite/carbon fibers composites

To maintain the high thermal conductivity (TC) and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of conventional copper (Cu)/graphite composites, novel Cu/graphite/carbon fibers (CFs) hybrid composites were designed by replacing part of graphite with Cu-coated CFs and prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. The incorporation of CFs resulted in increased interface density, reduced twin boundaries, and significant grain refinement of the Cu matrix. TEM observations revealed that the Cu-coating on surfaces of CFs enhanced the interfacial bonding between CFs and Cu matrix. The Cu-coated CFs can act as connecting channels between graphite particles, which partially compensate the negative effect on TC. Furthermore, strong interfacial bonding and large Cu/CFs contact areas contribute to the reduction in CTE. As a result, the Cu/30%graphite/10%CFs composite showed TC and CTE of 453.5 Wm−1 K−1 and 10.9 × 10−6 K−1, respectively. Compared to the Cu/40%graphite composite, the CTE of Cu/30%graphite/10%CFs composite was reduced by ∼20 % with only 4.4 % sacrifice in TC. Consequently, the Cu/graphite/CFs hybrid composites showed an excellent balance between TC and CTE, which are superior to the conventional Cu/graphite and Cu/CFs composites. The findings of this work provide new insights for designing and preparing new thermal management materials.

Enhanced multifunctionality in carbon fiber/carbon nanotube reinforced PEEK hybrid composites: Superior combination of mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and EMI shielding

This study presents a novel approach to manufacturing carbon fiber and carbon nanotube-reinforced PEEK hybrid composites (CF/CNT/PEEK) using compression molding. The hybrid composite characteristics were compared with those of a control composite (CF/PEEK). Various tests were conducted on both composite types to investigate the impact of incorporating a carbon nanotube sock layer (an ultra-thin layer of a low-density CNT network), including three-point bend, electrical conductivity, and EMI shielding. The research also underscored the importance of EMI shielding simulation. An important aspect of the study involved performing multiscale simulations on control and hybrid composites, employing a digital twin methodology, and validating the results with experimental findings. For the hybrid composite, double multiscale simulations were performed by integrating two local-scale models, a CF/PEEK unit cell (micro-scale) and a CNT/PEEK representative volume element (RVE) (nano-scale), into a global-scale model. A detailed post-processing analysis of the simulation results was conducted to analyze stress distribution on local and global scale models. It was noted that there was an over 8 % increase in the flexural strength of the hybrid composite, along with a reduction of over 27 % in the standard deviation of the results. The introduction of CNTs enhanced the electrical conductivity by more than 36 %. It conferred remarkable EMI shielding effectiveness exceeding 50 dB across the entire X-band frequency range, attributed to enhanced reflection and absorption. EMI shielding simulations suggest that refining the manufacturing process of the hybrid composite could enhance its shielding properties. The developed multiscale simulation has been demonstrated as an efficient prediction tool, as the simulation outcomes closely align with experimental findings. The resultant hybrid composite is promising for potential multifunctional applications.

Mechanical, vibration damping and acoustics characteristics of hybrid aloe vera /jute/polyester composites

The development of biodegradable hybrid fibre composites is gaining pace in the automotive and construction industries due to their lightweight structural applications, which offer considerable benefits for the environment. In this present investigation, hybrid bio composites were fabricated using a compression molding machine with plain woven jute and aloe vera mats along with polyester resin as the matrix. Six types of hybrid biocomposite laminates were prepared by varying the stacking arrangement of jute and aloe-vera mats to analyse the impact of stacking arrangements on vibration damping and acoustic behaviour of these hybrid bio composites. From the results, it is concluded that the maximum value of natural frequency is obtained from the JJAJ type of composite. i.e., 157, 326, and 370 Hz for Modes I, II, and III respectively, due to good interlacing of fibres in the weft and warp directions. J/J/A/J (AJ3) hybrid bio composite has highest sound absorption coefficient of 0.47 at 3000 Hz, and a better transmission loss i.e 19.84 dB, according to the results of the acoustic research. The comparison of experimental and theoretical analysis was carried out, and found that experimental and theoretical values are closely related to each other.

Stacking Effect of Carbon/Glass Fiber During Drilling Operation of Laminated Polymer Composite

Nowadays, fiber stacks are extensively used in the aircraft and structural component manufacturing industries. It is mainly due to their excellent mechanical and physiochemical performances. The different stacking sequences of fiber materials expand the structural properties due to high-strength carbon fiber and low-cost glass fiber. The fragile and anisotropic conduct of Carbon (Cf) and Glass (Gf) laminates generates different types of complex machining issues. This article focuses on the Drilling test of Carbon/glass fiber hybrid composites using different stacking sequences. The effect of varying stacking orders is explored in this study to identify a feasible composite. The control of varying constraints, namely, spindle speed (N), feed rate (f ), and stacking sequence (SS) of carbon (Cf) and glass fiber (Gf) reinforcement, is performed to achieve the optimal parametric condition. The finding reveals that sample A (C4G4) stacking sequence provides an acceptable value for thrust force 59.05 N and delamination 1.0001 for high drilling efficiency. The stacking technique of carbon/glass layers can be endorsed to the manufacturing sector for cost-effective composite development and a defect-free machining environment.

A novel machine learning framework informed by the fractional calculus dynamic model of hybrid glass/jute woven composite

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of glass‐jute fiber hybridization on the dynamic viscoelastic performance of woven natural fiber composites. Experiments elucidated the effects of low‐frequency vibration and glass/jute ratio on the storage modulus and loss factor. Results exhibited nonlinear escalations in storage modulus and loss factor with increasing frequency and glass fiber content. The loss factor also demonstrated nonlinear rises with frequency and jute content. A fractional calculus‐based two‐branch model successfully captured these behaviors by incorporating frequency and hybrid ratio as key variables, showing excellent agreement with measurements. To further improve predictive accuracy, an artificial neural network informed by the fractional calculus dynamic model is implemented by enforcing physical constraints during training. The physics‐informed artificial neural network achieved higher correlation to experiments than unconstrained models, affirming the value of fusing physics knowledge into data‐driven models. This study highlights the promise of physics‐guided machine learning for predicting the intricate dynamics of sustainable natural fiber hybrid composites. The integrated analytical and data‐driven techniques provide a pathway to comprehensively model the mechanical performance of advanced multiphase materials over diverse conditions.

Inter-layer failure and toughening mechanisms of carbon/aramid hybrid fiber composites interleaved with micro/nano pulps under low-velocity impact load

Hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer (HFRP) composites are widely used in aerospace structures because of their excellent overall performance. However, it is still challenging to address the issue of high sensitivity to delamination between dissimilar material interlayers in HFRP composites. This study combines experimental and numerical simulation to analyze the low-velocity impact behavior and interlaminar damage of two types of HFRP. Based on a micromechanical model, an equivalent aramid pulp (eAP) toughening laminate model is developed. The impact behavior of the HFRP toughen by eAP only in dissimilar material interlayers is simulated based on the model. The effect of eAP areal density on the impact behavior and evolution of interlaminar damage is analyzed. Results show that the maximum force and impact stiffness of eAP-toughened HFRP increase initially with the increase in eAP areal density, and then decrease slowly. The area and extent of damage of dissimilar material interlayers in eAP toughened laminates is significantly reduced. Finally, the interlaminar toughening and failure mechanisms by eAP-toughening only in dissimilar material interlayers of the HFRP composites are systematically revealed from fiber bridging and damage transfer perspectives.

Parametric optimization in drilling of sisal–glass reinforced epoxy composites using Taguchi grey relational analysis method

This research work intends to study the effect of hybridization of glass and sisal fiber, stacking sequence and tensile properties of the composite. The sisal-glass fiber hybrid composites laminates are prepared using reinforced plain woven sisal fabric (unidirectional) and plainwoven glass fabric. In this research study, 27 experiments are conducted as per L27 orthogonal array. Five process parameters are selected and three responses are considered in this work. The drilling of the composite specimen is considered and the drilling process parameters such as speed, feed rate, drill diameter, material thickness, and drill point angle are selected. The responses considered in this work are delamination factor, thrust force, and torque. Taguchi analysis is performed and the response table for means for the responses is determined, and the most influencing parameter in the drilling of the composite specimen is analyzed. The grey relational coefficients are computed and followed with the computation of the grey relational grade. The grey relational grades are calculated for determining the highest contributing parameter in the drilling of the sisal fiber and glass fiber reinforced hybrid composite specimen. The optimum drilling process parameters are ranked and the ranks presented represent the sequence of run resulting in optimum solutions.