Mechanical characterization of jute/carbon hybrid epoxy composites

In recent years, the use of hybrid composites consisting of natural and synthetic fibers has gained increasing attention due to their potential for improved mechanical performance and sustainability. The primary aim of this study was to explore the impact of integrating jute and carbon fiber components into hybrid composites on the enhancement of the materials’ mechanical properties. Jute and carbon bidirectional fabrics were used with a bi-component epoxy matrix in order to fabricate the hybrid composite materials. The carbon bidirectional fabrics were placed on the outer layers, while the jute fabrics were used as the core of the hybrid composites. The core fibers were controlled by the number of layers (5), while the synthetic outer layers were varied (1 and 2, symmetrically and asymmetrically). The composite materials were characterized mechanically via tensile, flexural and impact tests. The results show that both the hybridization technique and the reinforcement symmetry significantly affect the general mechanical properties. In the analysis of tensile properties, a consistent monotonic increase in enhancement tendencies was observed with an increasing fraction of carbon fibers. Conversely, under flexion, a plateau was evident with regard to the hybridization architectural variations, although this behavior was not observed for the flexural modulus, which exhibited a continuous monotonic enhancement relative to the fraction of carbon fibers. Finally, under impact conditions, it was found that symmetry of the synthetic envelope is highly advantageous.