Enhanced Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Epoxy Composites by Hybrid Polypropylene Spunbond Nonwoven/Glass Fiber Reinforcement

Abstract

This study investigates the hybridization of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy laminates with polypropylene (PP) spunbond nonwoven fabrics to tailor their mechanical and thermal properties. Four laminate configurations were produced: pure glass fiber (PL1), glass fiber with PP spunbond on the outer surface (PL2), glass fiber with PP spunbond in the core (PL3), and pure PP spunbond (PL4). Tensile, flexural, impact, and thermal conductivity tests were conducted to evaluate their performance. The incorporation of PP spunbond layers reduced tensile and flexural strengths but increased strain capacity and improved impact performance under unnotched conditions, indicating enhanced ductility and energy absorption capability. The results further revealed that laminate architecture and outer-layer configuration strongly influence both mechanical and thermal responses. In particular, placing glass fiber layers at the laminate surfaces enhanced the flexural performance, whereas positioning spunbond layers at the outer surfaces reduced thermal conductivity and improved insulation characteristics. These findings demonstrate that different laminate configurations provide distinct performance advantages rather than a single optimum solution. Overall, the proposed hybrid structures offer an effective strategy for designing multifunctional composite laminates with tailored combinations of strength, flexibility, impact resistance, and thermal insulation for specific application requirements.