Experimental characterization of glass basalt vinyl ester hybrid composites and their joints

Abstract

Fibre reinforced polymer composites are extensively employed in the newlineaerospace, construction and marine industries due to the high strength, low newlinespecific weight, and better design flexibility. It offers a high strength-to-weight newlineratio compared to more traditional materials like steel, metal, aluminium, etc. newlinewhich enabled them to be used in the automotive sector in large quantities. The newlinenovelty of this study derives from the hybridization of glass/basalt in vinyl ester newlinematrix to varying fibre orientation and incorporating silane coupling agent in newlineglass fibre. The improvements of mechanical properties in connection with newlinetensile, flexural, impact strength, water absorption behavior, inter laminar shear newlinestrength, low velocity impact resistance, viscoelastic behavior and novel material newlinejoint strength. Nine different laminates were taken in to account for this study newlineconsists of six individual composites and three hybrid composites. newlineThe composite laminates were prepared by Vacuum Infusion Process. newlineThe influence of volume fraction of fibres, mechanical behaviours and surface newlinemorphology of fractured composites were analyzed. While 0° oriented glass and newlinebasalt fibres have shown higher load bearing capability, the fibres oriented at 45° newlineangle have shown higher plastic deformation leading to increased toughness. newlineThe impact strength test showed 103% and 108% of improvement with basalt newlineand glass fibre reinforced laminate, respectively. The fractography micrographs newlineof hybrid composites have shown the effectiveness of basalt and glass fibre newlineorientation in the composites. And bonding between fibre and matrix indicating newlineflexible interphase during the impact loading. In technological aspects, the newlinehybrid composites reflect excellent structural and mechanical performance with newlinebetter durability. The silane treated glass fibre and the hybrid composites have newlineshown better shear cracking strength with inelastic deformation newline