Investigation on the effect of stacking order and hybridization on mechanical and water absorption properties of woven flax/bamboo composites

In virtue of the performance of natural fiber reinforced composites, hybridization and stacking order play a crucial role in defining the behavior of engineering components. Furthermore, no studies have been reported on the mechanical and water absorption properties of woven flax/bamboo hybrid composites with different stackings. The present study investigates the influence of stacking sequences and hybridization of flax (F)/bamboo (B) epoxy composites on its mechanical and water absorption properties. The stacking sequence is varied as follows: B/F/F/B, F/B/B/F, F/B/F/B, F/F/B/B. A numerical model for interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) is developed and validated using ANSYS composite repost, which can predict the critical stresses and damage in each ply, as it is not possible through experimental studies. The tensile fractured surfaces are examined by scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that the mechanical and water absorption of hybrid composite laminates are influenced by the stacking sequence. The optimum stacking order with maximum performance is obtained for B/F/F/B. The increase in tensile, flexural, impact, and ILSS values is observed as 8.3%, 25%, 4.4%, and 14.6%, respectively. The water diffusion coefficient is reduced by 34.75% by the addition of the bamboo layer to the skin. The computational analysis predicted the different modes of critical stresses and failures acting on each ply during the ILSS test.

Automated summary

This study investigates the influence of stacking sequences and hybridization on the mechanical and water absorption properties of woven flax/bamboo hybrid composites. The results indicate that the stacking sequence plays a crucial role in defining the behavior of these composites, with the optimum stacking order being B/F/F/B. Computational analysis enables the prediction of critical stresses and failures in each layer during interlaminar shear strength testing.