Free vibration analysis and selection of composite for high strength and stiffness using multi-attribute decision making

This paper describes the optimal selection of chopped strand mat glass-fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin (CGRP) polymer matrix composite (PMC) by considering the strength and stiffness of various composite samples. The two-, four-, six-, eight- and ten-layered CGRP-PMC samples were prepared by using a hand-layup method. Then, the natural frequency and damping ratio of the CGRP-PMC samples were determined through experimental free vibration analysis using DEWESoft software. The density, tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, absorbed energy, inter-laminar shear strength, and fracture toughness results of the CGRP-PMC samples were considered as attributes for the selection of the optimal composite using multi-attribute decision making (MADM) techniques. The six-layered CGRP-PMC material was selected as the optimal PMC based on the results of MADM techniques.