Curaua–Aramid Hybrid Laminated Composites for Impact Applications: Flexural, Charpy Impact and Elastic Properties

Abstract

Curaua, as a leaf-based natural fiber, appears to be a promising component with aramid fabric reinforcement of hybrid composites. This work deals with the investigation of flexural, impact and elastic properties of non-woven curaua–aramid fabric hybrid epoxy composites. Five configurations of hybrid composites in a curaua non-woven mat with an increasing quantity of layers, up to four layers, were laminated through the conventional hand lay-up method. The proposed configurations were idealized with at least 60 wt% reinforcement in the non-alternating configuration. As a result, it was observed that the flexural strength decreased by 33% and the flexural modulus by 56%. In addition, the energy absorbed in the Charpy impact also decreased in the same proportion as the replaced amount of aramid. Through the impulse excitation technique, it was possible observe that the replacement of the aramid layers with the curaua layers resulted in decreased elastic properties. However, reduction maps revealed proportional advantages in hybridizing the curaua with the aramid fiber. Moreover, the hybrid composite produced an almost continuous and homogeneous material, reducing the possibility of delamination and transverse deformation, which revealed an impact-resistant performance.

Amazon Natural Fibers for Application in Engineering Composites and Sustainable Actions: A Review

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Mechanical and Ballistic Properties of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Babassu Fibers (Attalea speciosa)

“…However, this difference is subject to variations due to the specific characteristics of the fibers, which vary from one natural fiber to another. This variation emphasizes the notable discrepancies between the different types of natural fibers documented in the literature [30,[61][62][63][64][65][66][67]. ANOVA was also used to examine the variations in the resistance to energy absorption in the Izod impact test, as shown in Table 12.…”

Cotton incorporated Poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic Starch Based Composites Used as Flexible Packing for Short Shelf Life Products

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