Abstract:
The application of natural fibers could be enhanced by using them together with synthetic fibers
which can potentially reduce the cost of the hybrid composites. This work presents an experimental
study of mechanical characterization of Glass/Sisal fiber re inforced epoxy hybrid composite
materials. Five cross plyhybrid composite laminates containing four laminas with different hybrid
ratios were fabricated by the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technology and
tested under tensile, bending and impact loads. The hybrid composite laminates fabricated with
several combinations of glass and sisal fibers volume fractions (25 % glass + 25 % sisal, 30% glass
+ 20% sisal, 35% glass + 15% sisal, and 20% glass + 30% sisal, 15% glass + 35% sisal) were
considered to investigate the properties of the hybrid composite laminate. The hybrid composite
laminates showed variable experimental results for each different weight ratios of the two
reinforcements. The experimental results shows that the tensile strength of the cross-ply hybrid
composite laminates increase up to 37% when compared to composites laminates made from only
pure sisal fiber and the tensile strength increases up to 17% when compared to pure glass epoxy
composite material. The glass/sisal epoxy hybrid composites have a density between 1 g/cm
3
and
1.3 g/cm
3
. Generally, from those experimental tests, it is found that there was significant variability
in density, tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact resistance properties of the hybrid
composite materials due to the variation in volume fractions of sisal and glass fibers.
Keywords: Hybrid Composites, Natural fiber, Synthetic fiber, Vacuum molding, Mechanical
properties.