Mechanical performance of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP)

Abstract

Composite material is a major technological advancement in the field of material sciences. Composites are applied in many major aspects of engineering, for example automotive, construction, aerospace and many more. Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is a composite material that utilizes a polymer as a matrix and high strength fibre as reinforcement. Polymer alone do not have the desired properties therefore fibre reinforcements are added to enhance its mechanical performance. FRP composite is known for its superior mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength and more. Therefore, FRP composite is very popular in the manufacturing industry. However, due to the cost constraints of carbon fibres, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) is only used in fabricating high performance parts. Apart from the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of the materials, the fatigue performance is a very important issues. Fatigue is responsible for most structural failures. Both information on tensile strength and fatigue performance are very important for manufacturers and designers, before material selection for parts fabrication. By understanding the fatigue mechanism, engineers will have a better view of the hybrid FRP composite and able to suit the application of these material. In this study, the tensile strength and fatigue performance of a glass/carbon fibre hybrid FRP composite combination is determined. Other than that, the fatigue mechanism of the hybrid FRP was also studied. Overall, the mechanical performance of the hybrid FRP is slightly lower than CFRP but there is a substantial difference in terms of the manufacturing cost.