Influence of varying matrix/fiber concentration on mechanical properties of bi-directional carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite

Abstract

The polymer composites comprising bi-directional carbon fabric incorporated in the epoxy matrix have been developed for various advanced applications in the field of automobile and aerospace sectors. The distinct advantages of using epoxy material with hardener are good adhesion, high tensile, compression and bending strengths, good corrosion, and heat resistance properties. Using carbon fiber enhances the stiffness, reduces the weight, and improves the chemical resistance apart from possessing high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion. Considering all the above aspects, the present work proposes to investigate the mechanical properties of carbon-reinforced epoxy composites with fiber matrix ratios of 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40 by wt% as these particular combinations have been limitedly addressed so far. The well-known hand lay-up technique has produced the laminates and the test samples prepared from the laminate are subjected to tensile, flexural, hardness, and impact strength properties. Based on the experimental work of the composites made in the laboratory, the fiber matrix ratio of 60:40 has revealed the best attributes in terms of higher mechanical strengths compared to the composites with fiber matrix ratio of 40:60 and 50:50 and the data obtained have been substantiated using scanning electron microscope analysis.