Micromechanics of hybrid composite laminate with natural and synthetic fibres

This study investigates the effect of intra-laminar fibre hybridisation on the homogenised lamina properties and micro-stress fields, with an emphasis on natural and synthetic fibre combinations. A representative volume element (RVE) approach, considering random fibre distributions, is employed to study unidirectional flax/E-glass/epoxy composite laminae. The results indicate that intra-laminar hybridisation with natural and synthetic fibre combinations can offer opportunities to tailor the homogenised lamina properties, especially to vary the effective density and thus achieve high specific properties. In addition, it is shown that the intra-laminar hybridisation can significantly alter the micro-stress and strain fields, potentially affecting intra-laminar damage mechanisms.