Mechanical, acoustic and vibration performance of intra‐ply Kevlar/PALF epoxy hybrid composites: Effects of different weaving patterns

The influence of different weaving patterns on tensile, acoustic, and vibration behavior of intra‐ply Kevlar and pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) hybrid woven fabric reinforced epoxy matrix composites was investigated. Intra‐ply hybrid Kevlar/PALF woven fabrics were analyzed by three weaves: plain, twill, and basket. Also, epoxy matrix, pure Kevlar, and PALF woven fabric composites were analyzed for comparison purposes. Results revealed that the basket‐type hybrid composites exhibited a higher tensile strength of 77 MPa compared to plain (63 MPa) and twill‐type (73 MPa) hybrid composites. Plain and twill weave hybrid composites presented higher sound transmission loss levels of 28.9 and 30.5 dB, respectively, at higher frequency levels. Free vibration analysis showed that the PALF composites had higher damping and a lower natural frequency whereas the pure Kevlar and hybrid composites (KP1, KP2, and KP3) exhibited lower damping and higher natural frequencies.