Experimental Characterization of Internal Structure and Physical Properties of Unidirectional Ply-Level Hybrid Carbon Composite Material

The complexities associated with the response of carbon fiber composites to different loading cases and methods of improving it without increasing their cost are still being researched. Herein, by an experimental approach, the ply-level hybridization technique for tailoring the composite response is explored, and two different types of unidirectional prepregs with the same fiber type but different quality and prices are mixed. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of this type of hybridization on the structure and mechanical response of carbon fiber composites and to assess the compromise between manufacturing cost reduction and mechanical response. Hybridization is obtained in both layer thickness and material quality and reference materials are also manufactured. The properties of the unidirectional hybrid and nonhybrid composites are evaluated by density and fiber volume fraction measurements. The in-plane mechanical properties are determined using quasistatic tensile tests, in 0 degrees and 90 degrees directions. No thickness effects are noticed on the stress-strain response under both longitudinal and transverse directions and hybrid composites exhibit an improved 0 degrees failure stress.

Automated summary

This study investigates the influence of hybridization technique on the structure and mechanical response of carbon fiber composites by mixing two types of unidirectional prepregs with different quality and prices. The results show that hybrid composites exhibit an improved failure stress in the 0 degrees direction, indicating a compromise between manufacturing cost reduction and mechanical response.