Thermo-mechanical behavior of epoxy composite reinforced by carbon and Kevlar fiber

Abstract

Newer manufacturing techniques were invented and introduced during the last few decades; some of them were increasingly popular due to their enhanced advantages and ease of manufacturing over the conventional processes. Polymer composite material such as glass, carbon and Kevlar fiber reinforced composite are popular in high performance and light weight applications such as aerospace and automobile fields. This research has been done by reinforcing the matrix (epoxy) resin with two kinds of the reinforcement fibers. One weight fractions were used (20%) wt., Epoxy reinforced with chopped carbon fiber and second reinforcement was epoxy reinforced with hybrid reinforcements Kevlar fiber and improved one was the three laminates Kevlar fiber and chopped carbon fibers reinforced epoxy resin. After preparation of composite materials some of the mechanical properties have been studied. Four different fiber loading, i.e., 0 wt. %, 20wt. % CCF, 20wt. % SKF, AND 20wt. %CCF + 20wt. % SKF were taken for evaluating the above said properties. The thermal and mechanical properties, i.e., hardness load, impact strength, flexural strength (bending load), and thermal conductivity are determined to represent the behaviour of composite structures with that of fibers loading. The results show that with the increase in fiber loading the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites increases as compared to short carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites except in case of hardness, short carbon fiber reinforced composites shows better results. Similarly, flexural strength test, Impact test, and Brinell hardness test the results show the flexural strength, impact strength of the hybrid composites values were increased with existence of Kevlar fibers, while the hardness was decrease. But the reinforcement with carbon fibers increases the hardness and decreases other tests.