Interlayer hybridization effect on the mechanical properties and buckling responses of basalt/carbon/epoxy-laminated composites

Abstract

This work explored how interlayer hybridization impacted the mechanical (tensile and flexural) and buckling characteristics of the hybrid basalt/carbon/epoxy-laminated composites. The composites were fabricated using the wet-layup technique, altering the stacking sequences of basalt (B) and carbon fibers (C) layers. Laminates with the stacking sequence: [C/C/C/C]₂, [B/B/B/B]₂, [C/C/B/B]_S, [B/B/C/C]_S and [C/B/B/C]_S were fabricated. Test specimens were then prepared from each laminate, and their mechanical properties were experimentally determined using a universal testing machine (UTM). In addition, elastic properties of the composites were analyzed through micro-mechanical modeling using a representative volume element (RVE) and compared with experimental results. Findings revealed that the tensile and flexural properties of the hybrid laminates fell between those of pure carbon and basalt fiber-reinforced laminates. The critical buckling load was also experimentally measured and compared with finite element simulations conducted in ANSYS®-APDL. The work further investigated how laminate geometry (aspect ratio), boundary conditions, and fibers orientations influenced the critical buckling load. Results showed that changes in stacking sequences significantly impacted the structural performance, particularly the critical buckling load. The combination of basalt and carbon fibers in epoxy laminates enhanced the flexural load capacity by 34% and increased the critical buckling load by 47%.

Graphical abstract