Influence of the hybrid ratio and stacking sequence on mechanical and damping properties of hybrid composites

A study on the correlation between the performances and configurations of plain weave composites reinforced by T300 carbon and aramid fibers is presented in this paper. Laminations with various hybrid ratios and stacking sequences were fabricated by vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), and then tensile, flexural, interlaminar shear, and damping properties were investigated. The results indicate that the tensile modulus of hybrid composites is determined only by hybrid ratio, while tensile strength is also affected by stacking sequence at an identical hybrid ratio. The concentration of carbon fibers in the center of these configurations leads to a greater tensile strength. For flexural properties, obvious classification characteristics are observed in the load–displacement curves, and both flexural modulus and strength are determined by the stacking sequence. While the flexural properties of all configurations are insensitive to the hybrid ratio, a structure of “Carbon/Aramid” in the outer layer is shown to be detrimental to flexural strength. The study on the damping property shows that both hybrid ratio and stacking sequence have a great influence on the loss factors of these composites. The effect of hybrid interface in energy consumption cannot be ignored, as the interlaminar shear strength test demonstrates that the interface between carbon and aramid layers is superior to that of pure aramid layers. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2368–2380, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers