Influence of Stacking Sequence and Orientation on Tensile and Flexural Properties of Jute/glass/carbon Fiber Epoxy-based Hybrid Composites

Natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composites have attracted the attention of researchers around the globe owing to their inherent noble attributes such as eco-friendly nature, lightweight, and low cost. However, these composites suffer from inferior mechanical properties and thus, continuous efforts are being made to improve the mechanical properties of these composites. The present work focuses on the tensile and flexural properties of jute (J)/glass (G)/carbon (C) fiber hybrid epoxy laminate composites in inter-ply and angle-ply configurations fabricated using the conventional hand lay-up technique. The impact of stacking sequence and orientation of fibers on the tensile and flexural behavior of epoxy laminate composite samples were evaluated. The results show that the hybrid arrangement of JCGs composite laminate has excellent tensile and flexural properties compared to the GJCs composite laminate at both 0 degrees and 45 degrees/-45 degrees orientation of fiber layers. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture eco-friendly hybrid epoxy composites with encouraging mechanical properties.