INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF (EPOXY-RESOLE BLEND) MATRIX HYBRID COMPOSITE

This research aims to investigate the impact of fibre reinforcement on the mechanical properties of hybrid polymer matrix composites. The samples made of a hybrid polymer composite were made from the reaction of two polymers, 90% epoxy resin and 10% Resole resin, and were reinforced with two types of reinforcements. The reinforcement used for the current research was carbon and Kevlar fibers. The fibers were in plain weave and were added in volumetric fractions. This research assessed mechanical characteristics like tensile strength, hardness, and impact strength in two cases: one for epoxy/Resole blend only and the other for a hybrid composite material. The addition of fibre reinforcement improves the mechanical properties of the epoxy. Kevlar fiber provides the best mechanical properties for the epoxy/Resole blend when reinforced with two layers of kevlar fibers.