Mechanical properties and failure modes of hybrid fiber reinforced polymer composites with a novel liquid thermoplastic resin, Elium®

In virtue of recyclability purposes, higher impact and damage tolerance properties, efficient and ease of fabrication, a new liquid Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) thermoplastic resin, Elium (R) 188, has been recently developed. This new resin can replace (epoxy) thermoset-based resins for the fabrication of laminates at room temperature with equivalent mechanical properties. Plain weave ultra-high molecule weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE), carbon fiber, and their hybrid systems are fabricated by Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI) method at ambient temperature. ASTM standard tests of tensile, compression, and shear (both intralaminar and interlaminar) are conducted to determine the mechanical properties with the aim of comparing the results with those of thermosets. Fractographic analyses are performed to have a better understanding of the behavior of these new thermoplastic-based laminates. The test results show the mechanical properties of thermoplastic-based laminates are comparable to those thermoset-based but with the aforementioned advantages, leading to wider applications in the industry.