Gopal Wadnere,
Kiran Kaware,
Mangesh Kotambkar,
Ankur Vasava,
Mayur Gitay,
Nandkishor M. Sawai,
- Research Scholar, PhD, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sandip University, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
- Ph.D. Supervisor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sandip University, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Adsul’s Technical Campus, Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Adsul’s Technical Campus, Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sandip Institute of Technology and Research, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
The high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and design flexibility of Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have attracted considerable attention in aerospace, automotive and structural applications. This work presents an experimental and finite element study on the tensile and flexural behavior of epoxy-based hybrid–FRP laminates. Five laminate configurations were manufactured, including a unidirectional carbon fiber laminate and four hybrid laminates, Kevlar–Carbon–Kevlar (K/C/K), Glass–Carbon–Glass (G/C/G), Kevlar–Carbon–Glass (K/C/G), and Glass–Carbon–Kevlar (G/C/K). For all hybrid configurations, a six-ply carbon fiber core was placed in between Kevlar and/or glass fiber layers to evaluate the effect of fiber hybridization and stacking sequence on mechanical performance. The tensile and flexural properties were experimentally obtained according to the ASTM D3039 and ASTM D7264 standards, respectively. The material properties obtained were then used to build finite element models in Abaqus. Numerical simulations consisted of defining orthotropic materials, proper boundary conditions, mesh discretization, and nonlinear failure criteria. The accuracy of the models generated was assessed by comparing the predicted responses with the corresponding experimental results. The finite element method was found to be reliable and numerical results agreed very well with the experimental results. The carbon rich laminates showed improved tensile and flexural properties due to the exceptional stiffness and strength of the carbon fibers. The Kevlar and glass fiber layers improved the damage tolerance and structural integrity. The validated models are a reliable tool for the prediction of the behavior of hybrid composites. They allow to design lightweight high-performance structures with better mechanical efficiency.
Keywords: Hybrid–FRP composites, carbon Fiber, Kevlar Fiber, flexural behavior, finite element analysis.
[This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Journal of Polymer & Composites (jopc)]
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| Special Issue | 04 | |
| Received | 10/07/2026 | |
| Accepted | 30/07/2026 | |
| Published | 07/08/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 28 Days |