Fatigue resistance and fracture toughness improvement in nanoclay‐modified <scp>T</scp>itanium‐<scp>K</scp>evlar/<scp>J</scp>ute fiber metal laminate

Abstract This study examines the fatigue and fracture behavior of Titanium‐Kevlar/Jute hybrid fiber metal laminates (FMLs) modified with varying nanoclay content (0, 3, 4, and 5 wt%), fabricated via vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). The results reveal that a nanoclay content of 4 wt% offers optimal performance, improving fatigue life by 37.5% and reducing crack growth rate ( da / dN ) by 29.3% compared to the unmodified laminate. These enhancements are attributed to nanoclay‐induced mechanisms such as crack deflection, fiber bridging, improved interfacial adhesion, and energy dissipation. While 5 wt% nanoclay further reduced crack growth, it also led to matrix embrittlement due to particle agglomeration. The findings underscore the significance of precise nanoclay loading in maximizing damage tolerance and fracture toughness. This optimized hybrid FML system demonstrates strong potential for aerospace and high‐performance structural applications where enhanced fatigue resistance and weight reduction are critical. Highlights Nanoclay enhances fatigue life by 37.5% in hybrid fiber‐metal laminates. Fatigue crack growth rate reduced by 29.3% with optimized nanoclay content. Kevlar‐Jute hybrid FMLs improve damage tolerance for aerospace applications. 4 wt% nanoclay provides optimal fracture toughness and crack resistance. Excessive nanoclay (5 wt%) causes embrittlement and accelerates failure.