Hybrid composites

John Summerscales

Hybrid: definition incorporation of two or more fibres within a single matrix the resulting material is a hybrid composite, often abbreviated to just "hybrid". or it may be two resin systems e.g. an interpenetrating network

Hybrids: configuration
a. fibre-by-fibre mixtures also known as "intimate" hybrids b. tow-by-tow mixtures a.k.a. "discrete" or "zebra" hybrids c. layer-by-layer mixtures d. skin-core-skin structures i.e. sandwich structures e. internal ribs f. external ribs

Hybrids: configuration

Hybrids: rule-of-mixtures

For elastic modulus:

where subscript A and B represent each of the fibre reinforcements

Hybrids: strength
For unidirectional composites, assume that the critical situation is fibre fracture and that contribution of resin matrix is negligible, then lower bound strength will be either:
or

Hybrids: strength - constant strain

previous slide assumes that only one dominant fibre is carrying the load. the low elongation fibre can be assumed to be the critical failure case and if the high elongation fibre is also carrying load at the same strain, then:

Do NOT use this equation with different values of

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

matrix contribution assumed negligible plot strength (on y - axis) from or

vs percent of each fibre composite (on x-axis)

100%A 100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

as proportion of A decreases so does its contribution to hybrid strength

100%A

100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

as proportion of B decreases so does its contribution to hybrid strength

100%A

100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

read off the lower bound strength from the graph (yellow dashed line)

100%A

100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

A is low strain-tofailure fibre so carries no significant load when B fails B is high strain-tofailure fibre so can carry load when A fails (up to A) assume B = 3 A
100%A 100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

A is low strain-tofailure fibre so carries no significant load when B fails B is high strain-tofailure fibre so can carry load when A fails (up to A) assume B = 3 A
100%A 100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

by similar triangles, the orange line can be joined to S (A) i.e. the triangles PQR and SQR have the same vertical height
S

100%A

100%B

Hybrids: strength constant strain graphical method

hence, the composite middle-bound strength can now be read from a higher line

100%A

100%B

The hybrid effect !

hybrid strength exceeds the rule of mixtures ? often referred to as synergistic strengthening

The hybrid effect !

for fibres with closely matched strains to failure, where the high-modulus fibre has the low strain to failure and vice versa failure strain of the low elongation fibre might be increased to that for high elongation fibre by isolating the individual critical fibre failures such that broken fibres are uniformly distributed through the composite. we might then predict a strength that exceeds the rule-of-mixtures prediction.

The hybrid effect

experimental data from Mark Grubers MMAE thesis, Delaware, 1981: Kevlar 49/E-glass. theoretical model from JS PhD thesis, 1983 using the assumptions on the previous slide.
1200

1000

Strength (MPa)

800

600

400

200

0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Vol% Kevlar composites

However ....
There is an alternative explanation:
carbon fibre contracts on heating o glass fibre expands on heating
o

if fibre-matrix bond forms at cure temperature then, on cooling to ambient,

carbon tries to expand o glass tries to contract
o

but they are constrained by the matrix ...

Thermal explanation of the hybrid effect

carbon fibre has residual compressive strain glass fibre has residual tensile strain when carbon is loaded in tension:

constrained unconstrained

Summary
six generic ways to combine the fibres additional term in rule-of-mixtures strength
lower bound (weaker fibre) o middle bound (all fibres at LEC) o upper bound (hybrid effect) do NOT use this for design purposes?
o

thermal effects with constraints