Mechanical Properties and Water Absorption of Glass Fiber Reinforced Composite Laminates made by Varying Stacking Sequence

Abstract This study aims to demonstrate the effects of various stacking sequences of different glass fiber architecture forms on the mechanical properties of glass fibre reinforced polyester composites. The composites were manufactured by hand lay-up technique and its mechanical properties were characterized in terms of tensile, flexural, and drop-ball impact tests as well as water absorption. The mechanical properties of the glass fiber reinforced polyester were somewhat affected depending on the stacking sequences from single alternating order, double alternating order, and triple alternating order of chopped strand mat and plain-woven fabric piled in ten (10) to fourteen (14) layers. The laminates consisting of alternating sequence manner of plain-woven fabric and chopped strand mat stacked in different layers have no significant effect on the mechanical properties. Stacking sequence of double alternating layer piled in twelve (12) layers was found to have better tensile strength than single and double alternating order of two different glass fiber form while the triple alternating manner piled in twelve (12) layers resulted to higher tensile modulus. The double alternating order of different glass fiber forms stacked in twelve (12) layers resulted to an improvement in flexural properties. Some selected laminates exhibited no delamination in drop-ball impact test and minimal water absorption when immersed in water for 30 days for all the laminates.