The effect of stacking sequence on the properties of hybrid agel/glass fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates

Abstract

Abstract Research on composites involving natural fibers is growing. Researchers are paying attention to natural fibers because they are environmentally friendly. The weak strength of natural fibers can be overcome by combining them with glass fibers. In this study, the composite specimen was made with three different lamina arrangements, noted by A as the agel fiber and G as the glass fiber. The composite material comprises six layers of fibers with three different variations (A6, A2/G2/A2, and G2/A2/G2). Before manufacturing the composite, natural fibers were treated with 4% NaOH solution for 2 hours. The manufacturing process uses the hand layup method. Performance of the composite was tested by flexural and hardness tests. Composites with the glass fiber as the outer layer get the highest strength in the flexural and hardness tests, while the overall composite with agel fiber layer gets the lowest mechanical properties. The phenomenon of fiber pull-out and delamination was seen after the material was tested, this indicated a weak bond between the fiber and matrix.