Mechanical Evaluation on Carbon/Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Hybrid Polymer Matrix Composite

Abstract

This work is about making hybrid composite materials out of carbon fiber mats and basalt fiber mats that are 40% reinforced with a 60% epoxy polymer matrix. Traditional hand layup has been used for the fabrication process to make five laminates of these two fibers. The mechanical properties of the hybrid composite were evaluated by measuring its tensile strength, flexural strength, impact energy, and hardness. The results showed that adding more carbon fiber layers to the composite made a big difference in its mechanical properties. In sample A, the tensile strength is 280 MPa, the flexural strength is 247 MPa, and the basalt fiber can keep more impact energy of 24 J in sample E, along with the carbon fiber and epoxy matrix. A scanning electron microscope was used to figure out how carbon/basalt fiber composite laminates break down.