Development and characterization of hybrid composite laminate based on luffa and glass fibers

Abstract The aim of this work is to study the mechanical behavior of a hybrid composite based on polyester thermoset matrix reinforced by a mixture of Luffa (LF) and Glass (GF) fibers. The whole volume fraction of the fibers was limited to 20 vol% in which the LF fraction was varied from 5 vol% to 20 vol%. Composites plates were prepared using the resin transfer molding (RTM) method. The morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the mechanical properties of the composites were characterized using tensile, three points’ flexural tests and hardness. Obtained results have shown that the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites were superior to those of polyester/LF composite. The mechanical properties depend on the GF fraction and on the organization of GF and LF sheets in the composite. The analytical modeling of tensile properties showed that the mechanical behavior of these hybrid composites is better described by the model of Hirsch with an adjustable value between 0.37 and 0.55. In addition, the water absorption behavior of these hybrid composites was also investigated during 200 h.