THE EFFECT OF AMBIENT MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF GLASS FIBER/CARBON FIBER /NYLON 6 SANDWICH HYBRID COMPOSITES CONSISTING OF SKIN-CORE MORPHOLOGIES

摘要

The concept of skin-core morphology was used to make sandwich hybrid composites in which the skin and core comprise of different fibers in the same matrix. The sandwich blends comprising of glass skin with carbon core and vice versa, were compared with those of the hybrid composite, while the respective carbon and glass fiber composites served as points of reference. The composites were compounded and fabricated into injection molded tensile specimens and 3 mm thick plaques. The effect of different levels of moisture content and ambient temperature was studied. The fracture mechanical characterization of the various materials was done by using notched compact tension (CT) specimens. Tensile Properties were also used to characterize the composites. Morphogical studies based on scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy were used to elucidate fracture characteristics.