The evaluation of failure mode behavior of CFRP/Adhesive/SPCC hybrid thin laminates under axial and flexural loading for structural applications

Abstract The failure mode behavior and the mechanical performance in terms of stress-strain of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic - Steel Plate Cold Commercial (CFRP-SPCC) hybrid thin laminates are investigated in this study through axial tensile and flexural tests. Four different adhesives were used. Materials were characterized using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Surface behavior was monitored in real time and after completion (final failure) with an optical microscope during the tensile test. The results from DSC and FTIR show that the materials undergo complete curing. The results from the tensile test indicate that by adding SPCC in hybrid laminates, the premature failure of CFRP laminates can be delayed up to 58.5%. The result shows the strain at failure increases from 1.85% of CFRP laminates to 2.1% of hybrid laminates, which equals an increased rate of more than 13%. The flexural tests demonstrate that hybrid laminates have a higher strain value compared to CFRP laminates. With the addition of SPCC layers, the failure mode is shifted from premature fiber breakage to adhesive breakage followed by final failure with fiber breakage originating from the CFRP laminates.