MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND TESTING OF A HYBRID COMPOSITE MATERIAL

Sammanfattning: A composite is a structural material that consists of two or more combined constituents at amacroscopic level and are not soluble in each other. One constituent is called the reinforcingphase and the other in which it is embedded is called the matrix. The reinforcing phasematerial may be in the form of fibres, particles, or flakes to name a few. The matrix phasematerials are generally continuous. Hybrid composites have distinctive characteristics thatcan be utilized in various structures and/or structural components without compromising theirstructural performance and durability. However, using natural fibres in composites makes thestructure more economical and eco-friendly. Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymers are mixed withnatural fibres to increase Engineering and Technology applications. Using a hybrid compositethat contains two or more types of different fibres, the advantages of one type of fibre couldcomplement what are lacking in the other. Therefore, a balance in performance and costcould be achieved through proper material selection, design, fabrication etc. This project aimsto fabricate Areca fibre/glass fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composites in five differentcompositions and investigate the mechanical characterization of the developed hybridcomposites. Finally, the mechanical properties are compared with commonly used plasticmaterial to ensure the possibility to replace the plastic material with the advanced hybridcomposite material for industrial applications such as helmet for workers in industries.