Mechanical Characterization of Multilayer Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29194/NJES.29020247Keywords:
Multilayer composites, Fiber-reinforced composites, Vacuum bagging process, Epoxy matrix, Carbon fiber, Glass fiber, Sheep wool fiber, Goat hair fiberAbstract
The mechanical behavior of multilayer FRCMs was tested, and the effects of fibers, types of fiber, and laminates on the tensile, flexural, and impact properties were discussed. The vacuum bagging method is a composite manufacturing process that uses atmospheric pressure to consolidate laminate layers, remove excess resin, and get rid of air bubbles. This makes high-quality, void-free composites. Four composite systems were made using this method: natural fiber composites reinforced with sheep wool and goat hair fibers, and synthetic fiber composites reinforced with carbon and glass fibers, all with an epoxy resin (LR620) and hardener (LH620) system. All composite assemblies have been systematically characterized at different layer configurations (3-6 layers considered) for the best structural response. The tensile, flexural, and impact properties were tested by following the corresponding ASTM (D638, D790, D6110) standards, respectively. The tensile and flexural results of the carbon fiber composite (GCT, GCB series) showed excellent mechanical performance (maximum tensile strength of 283 MPa for GCT4 and flexural strength of 164 MPa for GCB5) with high load-carrying capacity, but the failure was brittle. Goat hair composites exhibited excellent impact resistance (GHI4: 1.255 J) and moderate tensile strength (36 MPa), which indicated superior energy absorption capacity. The glass fiber composites showed a good balance of mechanical properties with increased ductility, where the tensile strength was 245 MPa, and a large deflection capacity was reached (14.683 mm). The study demonstrates that 4-layer setups usually result in the highest tensile properties, while 5–6-layer setups improve the flexural strength. These results add to the knowledge of optimization of multilayer composite design, and they are very useful for materials selection in aerospace, automotive, and structural applications.
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