Compressive and Interlaminar Shear Strength Properties of Biaxial Fibreglass Laminates Hybridized with Jute Fibre Produced by Vacuum Infusion

In this work, compressive and interlaminar shear properties of hybrid laminates were evaluated in order to fulfill the gap regarding the analysis of these mechanical properties and their importance for hybrid composites with natural fiber. Laminates of epoxy and jute fabric with non-woven glass fabrics were manufactured by vacuum infusion. Three hybrid laminates were produced with different orientation of their layers. Fiber weight fraction was 60% and density was 20% lower than glass fiber-reinforced composites. The hybrid laminates with jute fabric showed lower compressive and interlaminar shear strength compared to the glass fiber laminates, and the best compressive strength result was presented by the hybrid laminate with layers oriented 0/90 degrees. The fractures of laminates were evaluated by an optical microscope. In the hybridized laminates, mainly in short beam testing, the failures occurred between jute layers whereas in compression failures were identified in the bordering surface of the glass and jute layer and in some regions with excess of resin. These results suggest that the hybrid laminates configurations developed and analyzed in this work can be successfully applied to mold components in composites, arising as an environmentally friendly option to the glass fiber-reinforced composites.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the compressive and interlaminar shear properties of hybrid laminates made of jute and glass fibers, showing that hybrid laminates had lower strength compared to glass fiber laminates. The best compressive strength was exhibited by the laminate with layers oriented at 0/90 degrees. Overall, the hybrid laminates developed in this work can be successfully applied as an environmentally friendly alternative to glass fiber-reinforced composites for mold components.