The influence of hybridization and different manufacturing methods on the mechanical properties of the composites reinforced with basalt, jute, and flax fibers

In this work, it was investigated how the mechanical characteristics of basalt (B)-, jute (J)-, and flax fibers (F)-reinforced composites combining with epoxy resin as matrix material were affected by hybridization process and two different production methods such as hand lay-up process and vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) method. The mechanical characteristics of the hybrid and non-hybrid samples were tested by tensile and hardness testing. Delamination and fiber behavior of the tested samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy technique. The tensile test results demonstrated that B/F-reinforced composites fabricated with the hand lay-up technique gave 20% better results than the specimens fabricated with VARTM. Otherwise, in B/J-reinforced composites, it demonstrated that the specimen produced by VARTM had a higher value of 10% compared to the specimens produced by the hand lay-up process. Besides, the hardness measurement of the specimens also supported the tensile strength characteristic results. The most advantageous mechanical characteristics were found in specimens fabricated with the hand lay-up process for B/F-reinforced composites samples and specimens produced by the VARTM method for B/J-reinforced composites. Hybridization of flax fabric with basalt fibers showed an improvement of 2.95 times in tensile strength and 1.62 times in hardness, while hybridization of jute fabric with basalt fibers showed a significant increase of 1.83 times in tensile strength and 1.91 times in hardness value. This work was conducted to reveal the potential of using the produced composites in sectors like automotive aerospace or aviation, and the combination of the three fabrics and two production methods mentioned was not found in the literature.

Automated summary

This study investigated the mechanical characteristics of basalt, jute, and flax fiber-reinforced composites under the influence of hybridization process and two different production methods (hand lay-up and VARTM). The tensile and hardness testing results showed that the hand lay-up technique produced better results for B/F-reinforced composites, while the VARTM method was more effective for B/J-reinforced composites. Hybridization of flax and jute fabrics with basalt fibers significantly improved the tensile strength and hardness values. This research is valuable for industries such as automotive, aerospace, or aviation, as it explores the potential of using these composites in these sectors and presents a combination of fabrics and production methods not found in the literature.