Mechanical behavior of hybrid glass‐flax‐carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer composites under static and dynamic loading

Abstract

The present study investigates the quasi‐static and dynamic mechanical properties of the composite laminates reinforced by flax hybridized with E‐glass and/or carbon fabrics. Epoxy resin was used as the polymeric matrix. Three different hybrid composite laminates were prepared: Glass/flax (HGF), carbon/flax (HCF), and carbon/glass/flax (HCGF) composite laminates. Non‐hybrid flax composite laminate (NHF) was prepared as a reference material. The quasi‐static mechanical properties were investigated by performing tensile and flexural tests. The dynamic mechanical behavior was evaluated using the split Hopkinson pressure bar test and dynamic mechanical analysis technique. The results showed that hybridizing flax with glass and/or carbon fibers significantly enhanced both the quasi‐static and dynamic mechanical properties of the composite system. Due to hybridization, the tensile strength increased from 50.5 MPa for NHF to 71.5, 162, and 107 MPa for HGF, HCF, and HCGF, respectively. Similarly, the flexural strength increased from 33.4 MPa for NHF to 104, 149, and 112 MPa for HGF, HCF, and HCGF, respectively. All the composite laminates showed a strain rate‐dependent behavior when tested using the SHPB test. Moreover, the dynamic compressive strength was substantially improved due to hybridization. DMA results showed that hybridization significantly improved the storage modulus and loss modulus of hybrid composites.Highlights Polymer composites reinforced with flax fabric hybridized with glass and/or carbon fabrics were fabricated. The fabricated hybrid composites were subjected to quasi‐static mechanical tests (tensile and flexural) and dynamic mechanical tests (DMA and SHPB). The hybridization approach was effective in improving the static and dynamic mechanical properties of hybrid composites. The static and dynamic behavior of hybrid composites can be tailored by controlling the type of synthetic fibers hybridized with natural ones.