The present work investigates the fabrication of Kevlar/epoxy and basalt/epoxy and Kevlar/basalt/epoxy hybrid composite laminates and compares their mechanical properties. Mechanical characterization tests, including tension, flexural, impact and hardness tests, as per ASTM standards, were conducted on coupons cut out from the fabricated composite panels. A hand layup fabrication technique was used to fabricate composite panels with seven layers in them. Eight such laminates, with two containing pure Kevlar/epoxy and basalt/epoxy and the remaining ones containing Kevlar/basalt, were stacked in different sequences and impregnated in an epoxy matrix to provide a hybrid configuration. The microscopic examination of the fabricated laminates revealed that there was good bonding between the reinforcements and matrix material. Out of the eight composite panels including the hybrids, the ones with the pure basalt/epoxy exhibited more tensile and flexural strength than its Kevlar/epoxy counterpart due to its higher density value. The tensile and flexural strength of the hybrid laminates (i.e., combinations of basalt/Kevlar/epoxy) showed values in between pure basalt/epoxy and Kevlar/epoxy laminates in general. A similar trend was observed in terms of hardness and impact strength for the fabricated composite laminates.
Use of lightweight composite materials in automobile applications such as doors, bonnets, and bumpers and also the utilization of composite materials in building insulations require superior mechanical and thermal properties. This study attempts to determine the thermal conductivity, linear thermal expansion coefficient, heat deflection temperature and thermo gravimetric analysis of hybrid composite containing reinforcement fibers stacked in seven different combinations in an epoxy matrix as per ASTM standards. Each composite contained two different fibre materials, i.e., Kevlar and basalt. The study revealed that the stacked layers of basalt fibers had more influence on the thermal properties. It was observed that the hybrid composite made of least quantity layers of Kevlar and most of basalt exhibited the maximum thermal conductance of 0.219 W mK−1, while with vice versa laminate developed 0.191 W mK−1 which was least thermal conductance. The composition prepared by made Kevlar as core layer and basalt as its outer layers exhibited coefficient of linear thermal expansion above 11.5 × 10−6/°C. Maximum decomposition weight loss of 76.92% occurred in the composition prepared by keeping basalt as core and Kevlar as outer layer. The differential thermal graph showed that the said hybrid composite exhibited the peak decomposition rate of 1wt.%/°C. The thermal properties of the laminate prepared by keeping two layers of Kevlar sandwiched between the basalt were excellent when compared to other six hybrid composites investigated in this study.
This investigation aimed to determine the effect of adding Vitis vinifera stalk cellulose (VSC) to epoxy resin composites reinforced with Bambusa vulgaris fiber (BVF). This study also focused on the mechanical, dynamic mechanical analysis, and fatigue properties of epoxy composites fabricated using VSC and BVF. The composite laminates were prepared using a hand layup method and were evaluated with respect to the corresponding ASTM standards. The mechanical properties illustrate that the increment in values for tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, Izod impact as well as hardness maximum up to 162 MPa, 6.21 GPa, 182 MPa, 6.48 GPa, 5.72 J, and 90 shore‐D, respectively for 5.0 vol% of BVF and 40 vol% of bamboo fiber composite designation EBG3 (Epoxy + Bamboo + Grape cellulose). Similarly, the addition of BVF by 40 vol% improved the storage modulus, loss factor, and fatigue life count of composite “EB” (Epoxy + Bamboo) by about 2.91 GPa, 0.55 and 19,227, respectively. The highest observed storage modulus and minimum loss factor were about 4.14 GPa and 0.36 for the composite designation “EBG3” as well as the maximum observed fatigue life counts were about 34,227 for the same. These composites with mechanically strong properties with improved thermo‐mechanical properties and fatigue life could be applicable in automotive side door beadings, ballistic resistance defense equipments, sports goods, and also in some of the household gadgets making purposes.
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