Measuring the compressive behaviour of glass/carbon fibre hybrid composite with a 4-point flexural test

Abstract

Carbon fibre composites typically provide excellent mechanical properties with a high strength-to- weight ratio, making this material favourable for lightweight structural applications. However, compressive behaviour is one of the weaknesses of composites due to the low failure strain and brittle failure characteristics. Hybridising low-strain carbon fibre with higher-strain fibre is a method to improve the compressive failure strain of carbon fibre composites. The applied load can be transferred to the higher-strain material at the failure initiation of low-strain material and the high-strain material can withstand the applied load until reaching the final failure.