Influence of volume fraction on the notched tensile strength of steel reinforced polyester hybrid composites

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the effect of hybrid composite notched specimen subjected to tensile loading. The laminated specimens were fabricated from steel and nylon bidirectional weaved mesh as reinforcements and polyester as the binder with different notch depths. The various volume fractions were used in which the percentage of polyester (40%) was maintained constant. A relationship between fracture toughness, fibre content and notch depth has been established. From the investigations it is revealed that, the laminated specimens with higher percentage of steel sustain greater loads. Further it is also noted that with the increase in fibre percentage, the fracture toughness will also increase and at the same time it is dependent on the notch depth.