Tribological behavior of woven carbon/glass fibers on stainless steel wire mesh reinforced hybrid composite

The demand for advanced polymer matrix composites with superior strength, wear resistance, stiffness, and reduced weight is increasing. This study introduces a novel hybrid laminate architecture in which carbon and glass fiber yarns are alternately hand-woven over stainless steel 304 wire mesh (SSWM) and embedded in a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) matrix. Unlike conventional CFRP or mesh-reinforced composites, this design integrates metallic mesh with woven fiber yarns to achieve enhanced load transfer and damage tolerance. Four composites with yarn orientations of 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° were fabricated using the hand layup method. Pin-on-disc wear tests revealed that CFWM 60° exhibited the lowest wear rate (41 mm 3 /Nm at 10 N), a 70.3% reduction compared to CFWM 90°. Erosion tests at 75 m/s and a 90° impingement angle using alumina particles showed that CFWM 45° had the best performance (0.142 g/g), 36.88% lower than CFWM 60°. The orientation-driven improvements were attributed to superior interfacial bonding, controlled crack deflection, and optimized load distribution. Fractography using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis confirmed reduced fiber pull-out and matrix degradation in CFWM 60° and 45° configurations. This study demonstrates the tribological performance of woven CF/GF-SSWM hybrid laminates.