ASSESSING THE FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF INTERLAYER HYBRID THERMOSET-THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES AND THEIR REPAIRABILITY

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Abstract
This study aims at assessing the flexural and post-impact flexural performance of interlayer hybrid thermoset-thermoplastic composites and comparing with non-hybrid ones. Interlayer hybridization was performed with the goal of combining the merits of fiber reinforced thermoset and thermoplastic composites. Fiber reinforced thermoset composite provide the required rigidity, while fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite impart the impact resistance and damage repairing. Three-point bending tests were performed on undamaged, damaged, and repaired fabricated composite samples. Bending test results exhibited that the flexural responses and properties of hybrid matrix composites lie between the flexural responses of non-hybrid composites. Flexural performance of hybrid thermoset-thermoplastic composite can be tuned through varying the relative volume fraction of fiber reinforced thermoplastic layer. In addition, hybrid composite showed superior post-impact flexural properties over non-hybrid composite samples. Besides, reduced flexural properties of hybrid composite samples were recovered to some extent through performing repairing process on them, i.e. applying heat with pressure.

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