In this study, carbon (C)/glass (G) fiber reinforced polymer laminates were fabricated through the hand lay-up process. Our purpose was to investigate the influence of stacking sequence on their mechanical performance. Different stacking configurations such as G/G/G/G, G/C/C/C/C/G, C/C/G/G/C/C, and G/C/G/C/G with mixed construction of glass and carbon fibers such as randomized and mat type were used to tailor the properties of the laminates for specific mechanical behavior. The results highlighted that the stacking sequence played a crucial role in determining the composite's mechanical behavior, offering valuable insights for optimizing design and performance. The least porosity was observed for G/C/C/C/C/G & G/G/G/G composite laminates, which might be due to the arrangement of similar fiber mats on successive layers that increased the density appreciably and reduced the porosity. With much higher diffusion rates, carbon fibers were observed to possess a larger potential for water uptake than glass fibers. Maximum tensile strength of about 18.6 kN was observed for G/C/C/C/C/G laminate and least tensile strength of 3.9 kN for G/G/G/G laminate. Compared to other composite laminates, the laminate with stacking sequence C/C/G/G/C/C resulted in high load carrying capacity against compression. The randomized glass fiber and woven carbon fiber had an enhanced interlocking behavior, which resulted in improved resistance against transverse loading. Laminates containing carbon fibers in the outer or middle layers performed better under impact loading and inter-laminar shear loading due to their superior load-bearing capacity, crack arresting behavior, and higher shear resistance of carbon fibers. Even with the delamination damage of the laminates, carbon fibers at the outer layers protected the laminate better than others. It was observed from ANOVA results that the stacking sequence had a strong influence on the mechanical and machining behavior of laminates.
Citation: Ganesh Radhakrishnan, Ahmed Ali Salim Al Burtamani, Ali Jamil Humaid Al Daraai, Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Ismaili, Asim Hamed Saif Al Hadhrami, Kadhavoor R. Karthikeyan. Effect of stacking sequence on the mechanical performance of hybrid carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates—A comprehensive experimental study[J]. AIMS Materials Science, 2026, 13(3): 614-635. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2026030
In this study, carbon (C)/glass (G) fiber reinforced polymer laminates were fabricated through the hand lay-up process. Our purpose was to investigate the influence of stacking sequence on their mechanical performance. Different stacking configurations such as G/G/G/G, G/C/C/C/C/G, C/C/G/G/C/C, and G/C/G/C/G with mixed construction of glass and carbon fibers such as randomized and mat type were used to tailor the properties of the laminates for specific mechanical behavior. The results highlighted that the stacking sequence played a crucial role in determining the composite's mechanical behavior, offering valuable insights for optimizing design and performance. The least porosity was observed for G/C/C/C/C/G & G/G/G/G composite laminates, which might be due to the arrangement of similar fiber mats on successive layers that increased the density appreciably and reduced the porosity. With much higher diffusion rates, carbon fibers were observed to possess a larger potential for water uptake than glass fibers. Maximum tensile strength of about 18.6 kN was observed for G/C/C/C/C/G laminate and least tensile strength of 3.9 kN for G/G/G/G laminate. Compared to other composite laminates, the laminate with stacking sequence C/C/G/G/C/C resulted in high load carrying capacity against compression. The randomized glass fiber and woven carbon fiber had an enhanced interlocking behavior, which resulted in improved resistance against transverse loading. Laminates containing carbon fibers in the outer or middle layers performed better under impact loading and inter-laminar shear loading due to their superior load-bearing capacity, crack arresting behavior, and higher shear resistance of carbon fibers. Even with the delamination damage of the laminates, carbon fibers at the outer layers protected the laminate better than others. It was observed from ANOVA results that the stacking sequence had a strong influence on the mechanical and machining behavior of laminates.
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Figures(16) / Tables(9)
Ganesh Radhakrishnan, Ahmed Ali Salim Al Burtamani, Ali Jamil Humaid Al Daraai, Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Ismaili, Asim Hamed Saif Al Hadhrami, Kadhavoor R. Karthikeyan. Effect of stacking sequence on the mechanical performance of hybrid carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates—A comprehensive experimental study[J]. AIMS Materials Science, 2026, 13(3): 614-635. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2026030
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