MICROMECHANICAL STUDY ON HYBRID CARBON AND GLASS FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER PROPERTIES

Abstract

In order to achieve both design adaptability and reduction of cost, there is a need to develop carbon / glass hybrid composites and evaluate their mechanical properties. This is a major challenge that can only be met through an understanding of the relationships between material architecture and mechanical response, as well observing microstructure formation. This research work assesses deformation, behaviour and failure prediction of real scale hybrid composite carbon and glass fibre reinforced polymer (hybrid C / GFRP) using microscale representative volume element (RVE). RVE for hybrid C / GFRP is assumed to have isotropic behaviour for carbon fibre, glass fibre and epoxy resin matrix, as well as assumed to be a perfectly bonded interface between the fibre and matrix regions, i.e., strain compatibility at the interface. Multiscale modelling of hybrid C / GFRP via RVE results is presented, which proves to be a practical tool for modulus of elasticity prediction. The results of computation of modulus of elasticity from RVE are then compared to real scale computation from experimental results. The failure mode observed from experimental results is also compared at the microlevel from RVE deformation perspective. Keywords: Representative volume element (RVE); micromechanical; composite; hybrid composite; finite element modelling (FEM).

Description