Mapping 3D Through‐Thickness Woven Composite Properties: A Baseline Study for Optimized High‐Performance Engineering Materials

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the mechanical, thermal, and dynamic mechanical properties of 3D orthogonal woven hybrid composites reinforced with basalt, ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and Kevlar fibers. Five composite configurations with varying basalt‐to‐UHMWPE layer ratios (pure basalt, 5:1, 3:3, 1:5, and pure UHMWPE) were fabricated via vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and characterized using tensile, flexural, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Tensile testing shows that the 3:3 hybrid achieves the highest tensile strength (314 MPa) and elongation (4.3%), outperforming both monolithic systems. Flexural testing demonstrates that the basalt‐rich hybrid (5:1) exhibits the highest flexural strength (406 MPa), while pure UHMWPE offers superior flexural ductility (13.78% strain at break). TGA reveals that the pure basalt composite retains approximately 55% residual mass at 600°C, while the 3:3 hybrid shows low to mid residual mass (10%), following a linear rule‐of‐mixtures trend. DMA shows that the 1:5 hybrid has superior viscoelastic properties compared to the 5:1 hybrid. These findings demonstrate that hybridization within a 3D orthogonal architecture enables tailoring of mechanical, thermal, and viscoelastic properties through systematic variation.