Buckling and tensile behavior of hybrid composite made of carbon and steel mesh

Abstract

This study evaluated the buckling and tensile properties of hybrid carbon/steel mesh-reinforced epoxy composites prepared using the hand lay-up technique. It involved the fabrication of plain steel and carbon fiber laminates, as well as three symmetric hybrid laminates formed by substituting two, four, and six layers of carbon fiber with steel mesh. Test specimens were sliced from laminates according to ASTM specifications using a CNC machine to assess the effects of hybridizing steel mesh with carbon fibers on tensile properties, axial buckling, and lateral buckling. The study revealed that increasing the number of steel layers in the hybrid laminates enhances tensile strain, while showing comparable axial buckling performance compared to plain carbon laminate. In the C–S ₆ hybrid laminate (six layers of steel mesh and six layers of carbon fiber), the increments were 59.03 %, 2.17 %, and 44.44 %, respectively. Conversely, tensile strength, tensile modulus, critical lateral buckling resistance, and lateral buckling displacement decreased by 32.54 %, 33.46 %, 66.95 %, and 61.20 % at C–S ₆ hybrid laminate. These findings highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate ratio of carbon to steel mesh for composite laminates designed for various applications.