The static and dynamic mechanical properties of kenaf/glass fibre reinforced hybrid composites

Hybrid composites are recently one of the most widely explored materials in research fields due to their promising properties. In this study, the static and dynamic behaviour which include tensile, quasi-static indentation and low-velocity impact properties of woven kenaf/glass reinforced composites were investigated. Hybrid composites with different fibre configurations were fabricated through hot press moulding technique. Non-hybrid glass and kenaf fibre reinforced polypropylene composites were also fabricated for comparison purpose. The tensile test was conducted with reference to ASTM D3039 whereas quasi-static indentation test was carried out according to ASTM D6264. Low-velocity impact test was conducted with reference to ASTM D7136 at different impact energy. The results obtained showed that the incorporation of glass fibre in the laminates improved the overall properties of the materials. The hybrid composites with glass fibres at the outermost layers exhibited comparable tensile strength to the non-hybrid glass fibre reinforced composites. Furthermore, it could be seen that the specific energy absorption of hybrid composites with glass fibres at the outermost layers was the highest compared to other composite laminates. These finding inspires further exploration of hybrid kenaf/glass reinforced composite for different applications. (paper)