Experimental investigation of hybrid fibre

reinforced polymer composite material and its

microstructure properties
Dhinakaran, V., Vijayakumar, M. D., Muthu, G., Sathish, T., & Bupathi ram, P. M. (2020).
ERICA TRISHA T. ARANAS
LABORATORY REPORT NO.: 1

Abstract

Composite materials are getting more attention because of its many uses in today’s generation
and to its higher mechanical properties that much needed in the economy. A composite material defines
as the material that combines two or more materials like metals, polymers, ceramics etc. In this study,
the Mechanical properties of the hybrid fiber reinforced polymer composite material including its tensile
test, flexural test and hardness test were analyzed. It also shows that the composite material appeared
have a better characteristic than the other material.

Introduction

Composite materials can be characterized as a material structure comprising of two visibly

identifiable materials working together to achieve a prevalent result. Composite materials have their
advantageous properties that provides new prospect for cutting edge innovation. The flexibility in
design that a composite material may give is that the material can be molded into various shapes. Due
to its high strength, stiffness, durability, low density, biodegradability. The demand of the Composite
materials is increasing rapidly.

Hybrid Composites are the composites that made up of two or more different types of fibers
that have the same matrix. These composites offer a wide extend of properties that are required to
satisfy different needs of applications. Numerous researchers have been attempting to improve the
composite materials with broad material properties to fulfill every need and these inquiries about have
been less managing with the hybrid composites having common filaments and indeed in those studies
that there will be one natural fiber and one non-natural fiber. These materials are being utilized in
various applications such as in buildings, bridges, making body panels of aircrafts, outlines, race cars,
storage tanks, etc. In Hybrid Composites it enhanced properties and have various advantages that the
traditional composites.

Review

a. Property/ Application

The properties of the fabricated composite material are determined by using the mechanical
test results obtained. The tests conducted were the tensile test, hardness test, Flexural tests.
 Tensile test. The tensile test is mainly done to calculate the tensile strength of the
material. The tensile strength of the material is calculated by the Microteck tens meter with
precision case arrangement. The tensile test is done by applying an axial load along the
longitudinal direction of the rectangular specimen prepared according to the ASTM standard.
The tensile strength is that the maximum load a material can withstand. The tensile test is done
for the fabricated composite in the Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The results are tabulated
and used for the calculation of the mechanical properties of the material. The tensile test is
done by gripping the two ends of the specimen in the UTM machine with eccentric roller grips
and applying a pull along its axial direction. After a value of load the specimen reaches plasticity
region where permanent deformation occurs. On continuously applying the pull, the necking
starts to develop in the material and the formation of crack takes place, followed by crack
propagation resulting in the fracture of the specimen. The load at which fracture occurs in noted
and the test is repeated for other specimens and average load at fracture.

Hardness test. is done to calculate the hardness of the material. The hardness number
of a material shows the hardness of the material. The hardness property is defined as the
resistance offered by the material to withstand scratches. The Vicker’s hardness test is
performed to calculate the hardness number. The hardness number is calculated by measuring
the net increase in depth of impression caused due to the applied load. The Hardness test can
be also used for the analysis of stiffness determination, friction resistance, abrasion resistance,
deformation resistance. The material has high resistance to deformation when the hardness
number for the material is higher. The indenter used for the test usually be a steel ball or a
diamond tipped cone intender with angle of 120 deg and 0.5 Kg load on the material.

Flexural test. The flexural test is carried out to determine the stiffness and
bending strength of the material. The flexural strength is also known as the bend strength or
modulus of rupture or fracture strength of a brittle material. It is the resistance offered by the
material to undergo deformation. The specimen is usually be a circular cross section or a
rectangular cross section. The flexural strength is same as the tensile strength for a
homogeneous material. The flexural test is done by applying a load at the center of the
specimen until fracture occurs in the material using a three-point bend test method. The test
was conducted in the UTM machine by using Series IX software. The load is applied at the center
of the simply supported specimen. Mostly, the flexural strength of the fiber reinforced
composite material is controlled by the strength of the large extreme fibers as they experience
the largest stress. In the tensile test analysis, the load is applied along the fiber
direction and therefore the fracture occur when the weakest fiber reaches its limiting stress
value. Hence the flexural strength of the material may be higher than the tensile strength. The
results obtained from the flexural test is analyzed and the flexural strength of the material may
be determined.
 The Epoxy adhesives serves as the matrix material for the hybrid fiber reinforced
polymer composites. The epoxy adhesives are from the structural adhesives also known as
engineering adhesives. These adhesives have high performance and are particularly used in the
construction of aircrafts, automobiles, bicycles, golf, clubs, skis, snow boards and other fields of
application where high strength is required.

b. Experimental Design

Fabrication of the Material

The glass fibers and the palm fibers serve as the reinforcement material for the hybrid
fiber reinforced polymer composite. The glass fibers have been used in various fields of
application due to their low cost. The composite material contains 30% to 60% of the
glass fibers. The fiberglass is used as an insulating agent and also as a reinforcing material in
polymer composites known as the fiber reinforced composites or the Glass reinforced
composites. Millennia is known for the technique of heating and drawing glass into fine fibers.
The use of these fibers has become popular in the textile industries. The most commonly used
fiber glass types are E-glass containing aluminoborosilicate glass with less than 1 wt% alkali
oxides, which is used in the fabrication of glass reinforced plastics, A-glass containing alkali-lime
glass with little or no boron oxide and E-CR-glass containing alumino-lime silicate with less than
1 wt% alkali oxides and has high acid resistance.

The palm fibers are used in the manufacturing of the low-cost and specialty paper, special
clothes, mattresses, carpets, ropes, dartboards, etc. These fibers are extracted from their leaves
when they are beaten by the blunt knifes assembled in a rotating wheel and the process is
known as decortications. The fibers are then undergone drying, brushing and baling processes
and exported for use. During the fabrication process, the mold for the composite is made using
plywood and the fibers are dried and chopped into short fibers of 10 mm length and weighed as
per the volume fraction of fiber. Then the mixture of epoxy and hardener in the ratio 10:1 at
room temperature is prepared after applying the remover agent in the mold. The mixture and
the short fibers are mixed properly at room temperature and uniformly poured into the mold
and it is closed and cured for 24 h at room temperature. After the composite had dried it is
separated from the mold and cut into required dimensions as per ASTM standards. Then the
composite material can be used for the experimental testing.
c. Results

Figure 1. Fabricated Specimen. The artificial drying leads to better grades

of the fibers.

Figure 2. ASTM Standard for Impact Test

 Tables 1 and 2. Shows the three samples were prepared for the analysis.

Table 1. Shows Tensile test results. Table 4. Shows the Flexural test results.

Figure 3. SS curve obtained from tensile test.

 Figure 4. Comparison of flexural strength of the three sample.

i. Explanation of Results

The comes about obtained from the above tests were examined and the
mechanical properties of the composite fabric is determined. From the ductile test, the
comes about were gotten and were organized. It can be observed that from the tensile
test, the tensile strength of the fabric increments with increment within the fiber
volume up to 30% of coir/glass epoxy-based half breed composites. The greatest tensile
test for the composite material is observed at 30% of fiber loading at 20 mm of length.
Hence, the comes about from the tensile test were discussed. The Flexural test is
performed for the three test samples and the results were obtained. From the flexural
test it is evident that the flexural strength of the composite material increases with the
increase in fiber volume about 30%.

ii. New knowledge that you learned from the paper

I have learned that the different properties that the researchers applied have an effect
in the composite fibers. Hybrid Composites also offer a wide extend of properties that
are required to satisfy different needs of applications. It can used in many engineering
applications for their versatile properties like lightweight, strength to weight ratio, low
cost, ease of structure development and high strength. Hybrid Composites also created
wherever it can contribute for the upgrade of useful requirement basically by replacing
the existing materials.
Conclusion / Recommendation

The composite material appeared better outcomes in its mechanical tests. The different
properties of the composite material are highly influenced by the composite fibers. The properties of
the material increase with the increment within the volume division of fibers. The tensile strength and
the flexural strength increase with the increase within the fiber volume fraction. The utilize of natural
fiber is expanding their demand in various fields of application due to their high strength, toughness,
low cost and less weight density. Based on the investigation of the manufactured composite material, it
appeared way better performance than the other composite materials and has higher strength than the
other composite materials.