Analytical Tensile Characterization of Multiple-Layers Twill- Hybrid Composite

Abstract

Hybrid composite materials offer some advantages like material costs and improving toughness behaviour of the tested samples. In this study, the tensile behavior of a five-layer hybrid composite laminate—comprising twill-woven carbon fiber in the outer layers and plain-woven glass fiber in the inner layers—was investigated analytically and experimentally. The composite laminates were fabricated using an isophthalic-based unsaturated polyester resin matrix by hand lay-up process. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted in accordance with ASTM D3039. In this laminate configuration, the outer two plies (layers 1 and 5) were woven carbon fibre reinforcing in a polyester matrix; the inner three plies (layers 2, 3, 4) were woven glass fibre in the same matrix. The stacking sequence is [0°/−45°/0°/−45°/0°]. CLT was applied to predict the effective axial modulus Eₓ, and the tensile strength via first-ply and last-ply failure analysis using the Tsai–Wu criterion. The experimental results were compared with the analytical method. The results demonstrated that the analytical model successfully predicted the tensile modulus and tensile strength of the hybrid composite. Experimentally, tensile strengths were measured around 305 MPa. CLT approach was applied, predicted results slightly lower than this values (295 MPa). The findings revealed a close agreement between the analytical and experimental results.