An Experimental Study of Static and Dynamic Behavior of the Hybrid Composite

Abstract

Hybrid composites containing natural fibers are widely used for various applications due to their superior mechanical properties over synthetic fibers. The mechanical behavior of such hybrid composites under dynamic loading is a key concern. In the present study, a six-layered hybrid composite fabricated with four different layers of natural (sisal, flax, jute, and hemp) fibers, with top and bottom layers of synthetic glass fiber, is investigated for the impact strength and strain rate effects. The fractography at different strain rates has been analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. From the investigation, it is found that the strength bearing capacity of the hybrid composite increases as the strain rate is increased from 0.00022 s−1 to 0.0888 s−1. It is observed that there is an enhancement of 8.21% in the tensile strength, with average hardness and impact energy, which are 48.5 HV and 8 J, respectively. It is concluded that the developed composite is suitable for high strain rate applications.

Keywords

• strain rate effects
• dynamic response
• natural fiber
• hardness
• impact energy
• mechanical properties