Flexural properties and Cost evaluation of hybrid polymer composites developed from different stacking sequences of fiber laminates

Abstract

The stiffness and reduced weight of polymer composites makes them unique from conventional manufacturing materials. The failure modes can vary from tension to compression dominated with the matrix interface. The mechanical strength can be improved with the stacking of different laminates for the development of hybrid composites. This study highlights the fabrication of laminate composite for flexural tests and analysis for stacking sequences of carbon (C) and glass (G) fiber laminates. The fabrication was performed by a cost-effective hand layup method for laminate polymers to observe changes in the properties of the final composites. This work investigates the cost appraisal of the hybrid composites to replace the existing costly material (neat material). The results of flexural properties and experimental study of low-cost composite materials are present in this paper, which integrates an empirical analysis for manufacturing sectors. The cost-effectiveness of composite manufacturing is determining the best stacking configuration for optimal production cost. The proposed laminate composite can be recommended for structural applications, and the addition of different fabric layers could be helpful for the development of a cost-effective product.