Mechanical Performance of Glass Woven Fabric Laminates: Effect of Hybrid Layers with Different Silane Coupling Agents

Abstract

An attempt is made to fabricate glass woven fabric composite laminates containing layers of different fibre surface treatments, based on the so-called ‘hybrid interface’ concept. Mechanical properties of hybrid laminates, including strength and elastic moduii in uniaxial tension and three-point bending, and Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, are characterized and compared with those for non-hybrid laminates. The results showed some improvements in tensile and bending strengths when the laminates consisted of hybrid layers containing low and high silane concentrations. Improvements in crack growth stability in Mode I interlaminar fracture were also highlighted for similar combinations of hybrid layers.