MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF FIBER GLASS AND KEVLAR WOVEN FABRIC REINFORCED COMPOSITES

An experimental study was carried out on woven fabric/epoxy composites focusing on their mechanical properties under uniaxial tensile, flexu ral, compressive, short beam shear and Mode I interlaminar fracture lo ading conditions. Composites with fiber glass and Kevlar 49 woven fabr ics and with different fabric constructions and microfiber additives w ere investigated. The interlaminar fracture behavior was characterized using double cantilever beam (DCB) test and the fracture mechanism wa s analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechani cal properties were evaluated in uniaxial tension, three-point flexure , compression and short beam shear. The effects of the reinforcing fab ric structure and microfiber additives to the matrix on the mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of the composites were analyzed.