INVESTIGATION OF THE FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF COMPOSITES WITH DIFFERENT RATIOS OF CHOPPED CARBON FIBER REINFORCEMENT

Composite materials are widely used in high-technology applications due to their propertiessuch as high strength and lightweight. Particularly, epoxy matrix materials are employed instructural applications requiring high strength. This creates a need to enhance the mechanicalproperties of epoxy matrix materials. Additives introduced into the epoxy matrix lead to varyingmechanical behaviors in composite materials.The addition of chopped carbon fiber reinforcement to the epoxy matrix is an effective method.Determining the optimal additive ratios while considering fiber dimensions significantlyimpacts the flexural strength of the epoxy matrix material.In this study, chopped carbon fibers were added to an epoxy matrix in weight fractions of 0%,0.5%, 1.5%, and 3%, and three-point bending tests were conducted. After the tests, microscopicimages of the fracture regions were obtained, and damage analysis was performed.This study aims to investigate the effects of chopped carbon fibers on the flexural behavior ofepoxy matrix materials, with the expectation of contributing to the development of compositematerials.