• Corresponing author: Gangadhar M Kanaginahal,E-mail address: gmkanaginahal@gmail.com Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11127/ijammc2017.04.02Copyright@GRIET Publications. All rightsreserved. Advanced Materials Manufacturing & Characterization Vol 7 Issue 1 (2017) Advanced Materials Manufacturing & Characterization journal home page: www.ijammc-griet.com Microstructural Study and Evaluation of Few Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Composites Gangadhar M Kanaginahal a , Madhav Murthy b a Department of Mechanical Engineering, BMSCE, Bengaluru, INDIA b Department of Mechanical Engineering, BMSCE, Bengaluru, INDIA Abstract Limitations of monolithic composite can be addressed by hybrid composites which are gaining importance in field of composites. An attempt has been made in making of hybrid composite comprising of bi-directional plain weaved Kevlar, S-glass and E-glass fibers reinforcements and epoxy matrix by vacuum bagging and hand layup methods. Few tests such as Hardness, Impact strength and Inter-laminar shear strength tests are conducted as per ASTM standards. Characterization of composites was carried out using SEM to analyze the material bonding, defects and failure behavior under load conditions. S-glass composite outperformed other composites performing better in all the test conditions but when combined with Kevlar the reduction in property is minimal and even microstructural study showed bonding of S-glass and Kevlar hybrids compared to S-glass is acceptable Keywords: Hybrid Composite, S-glass, Kevlar, E-glass, Mechanical Testing, SEM Characterization, Analysis 1. Introduction A particular component is made of a material, each component property is defined by the material used and the manufacturing process applied. Composite is a blend of two different properties of materials which are combined together to form a single part. In Fiber Reinforced Composite, Reinforcements are anisotropic (properties only in single direction) in nature, have high modulus of elasticity and carry the maximum load and Matrix protects the composite from environmental changes, flexible in nature but solidifies after curing. Main advantage of composites is they can be tailor made i.e. molded into any required shape and are light weight, strength/stiffness to weight ratio is higher. MMCs, CMCs & PMCs are classification done based on matrix and based on reinforcements they are classified as short fibers, particulates etc. Synthetic Composites are made of glass, aramid, carbon etc. reinforcements and Natural Composites are made of wood, snail shell etc. Aramid fiber is less functional in compression but performs well in impact conditions and is not suitable for applications exposed to UV rays. Glass is composed of SiO2, CaO etc. compounds in form of E-glass, S-glass and C-glass fibers which are used for specific applications. It’s Brittle and resistant to fire, flexible due to its variation in diameter and low modulus [1]. A section of composite displaying more than single type fiber is known as Hybrid composite. In Hybrid balanced approach is carried out between the cost and properties to meet the requirements. Mechanical properties vary according to the fiber type, stacking sequence, manufactured method and so on. Behavior & failure modes vary w.r.t intraply and interplay composites [2]. 7