Fabrication and mechanical characterization of glass fiber/Al2O3 hybrid-epoxy composite

This paper presents the development and mechanical characterization of hybrid composite consisting of glass fiber and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) particles reinforced with epoxy matrix. The hybrid Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composite has been fabricated using different weight fractions (20%, 30%, and 40%) and different particles size (20 µm, 40 µm and 60 µm) of Al2O3 along with chopped E-glass fiber reinforced with epoxy resin matrix, following the hand lay-up method. Further, the mechanical characterization has been carried out through tensile test, impact test, and bending test. The effect of process parameters on mechanical properties of the composite has been studied using response surface methodology (RSM) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). It has been found that an increase in weight percentage of Al2O3 particles improves the mechanical properties. However, the increase in size of Al2O3 particles shows an adverse effect on mechanical properties. The results have been optimized using the desirability function approach, and validated through a confirmation test.