Failure modes of hybrid composites consisting of carbon fibre bundles dispersed in a glass fibre epoxy resin matrix

Abstract

Tests have been conducted on single carbon fibres, bundles of 1000 carbon fibres impregnated with epoxy resin and on a glass/carbon hybrid composite containing similar bundles interspersed in glass/epoxy resin. The influence of the bundle dispersion on the strength of the carbon bundles is discussed and suggestions for the optimum dispersion are made. The behaviour with respect to the weakest-link hypothesis is also discussed and an explanation is proposed for the observed deviation from the theory for the bundles.