Investigation of the mechanical response of MWCNTs infused carbon/glass fiber-based hybrid composites using digital image correlation

The development of hybrid polymeric composites with fillers and balanced mechanical properties has gained popularity due to their remarkably high strength-to-weight ratio, damage resistance, and multifunctional properties. In the current experiment work, epoxy-based composites reinforced with carbon (C), glass (G), carbon/glass (C/G), and carbon/glass with varying (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 wt%) of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were developed using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) (for hybrid composites) and vacuum bagging (for hybrid composites with MWCNTs). The tensile behavior of the developed composites has been investigated using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique to capture full-field strains and displacements. The variation in the displacement of composites and distribution in strain in two principal directions under tensile loading has been captured and analyzed using DIC. The hybrid composite made of C/G with 0.25 wt% of MWCNTs showed a maximum tensile strength of 391 MPa among all the hybrid composites. Adding optimized MWCNTs to the hybrid composites improved stiffness, load transfer, and interfacial bonding between the constituents, which was further investigated through DIC strain mapping. The fractured surface of the tensile specimens and the influence of MWCNTs addition in the composites at the micro and nano levels have been examined using SEM. The current study concludes that adding MWCNTs into hybrid polymeric composites can achieve a balanced and multifunctional property for several sophisticated and advanced engineering applications. • Developed MWCNT-infused carbon/glass-based epoxy hybrid composites. • DIC mapping of strain and displacement in longitudinal and transverse directions. • Optimized MWCNT addition offers balanced properties for advanced applications. • Adding optimized MWCNTs improves strain distribution within the composites.