Curaua–Aramid Hybrid Laminated Composites for Impact Applications: Flexural, Charpy Impact and Elastic Properties

Abstract

Curaua, as a leaf-based natural fiber, appears to be a promising component with aramid fabric reinforcement of hybrid composites. This work deals with the investigation of flexural, impact and elastic properties of non-woven curaua–aramid fabric hybrid epoxy composites. Five configurations of hybrid composites in a curaua non-woven mat with an increasing quantity of layers, up to four layers, were laminated through the conventional hand lay-up method. The proposed configurations were idealized with at least 60 wt% reinforcement in the non-alternating configuration. As a result, it was observed that the flexural strength decreased by 33% and the flexural modulus by 56%. In addition, the energy absorbed in the Charpy impact also decreased in the same proportion as the replaced amount of aramid. Through the impulse excitation technique, it was possible observe that the replacement of the aramid layers with the curaua layers resulted in decreased elastic properties. However, reduction maps revealed proportional advantages in hybridizing the curaua with the aramid fiber. Moreover, the hybrid composite produced an almost continuous and homogeneous material, reducing the possibility of delamination and transverse deformation, which revealed an impact-resistant performance.