Enhanced mechanical and thermomechanical performance of basalt–carbon hybrid composites reinforced with titanium wire mesh

This study focused on development of innovative metal fiber polymer laminates (MFPLs) for high-impact load-absorbing applications in automotive, aerospace and soundproofing. Therefore, a woven titanium (Ti) wire mesh was used as the highimpact load absorber and highductility reinforcement of the fabricated MFPLs, using hand layup and compression molding methods. The MFPLs comprised both carbon (C) and basalt (B) fibers reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid composites in various stacking sequences.The mechanical (tensile, flexural and impact) and thermomechanical (dynamic mechanical analysis: tan delta/damping, storage and loss moduli) properties of the various B/C/Ti MFPLs were examined. From the experimental results obtained, sample TiC6Ti recorded maximum tensile and flexural strengths of 612and 762MPa, respectivelywhen compared with other B/C/Ti MFL hybrid composite samples. Additionally, sample TiBCBCBCTi recorded the highest flexural strength among the basalt fiber-based MFL hybrid composite samples. However, samples C3Ti2C3 without basalt fiber and TiC6Ti exhibited the lowest and highest impact strengths of 149 and 166 kJ/m2 when compared with other samples, establishing the negative effect of absence of basalt fiber on the Ti MFL composite systems. Besides, according to the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results, sample TiC6Ti recorded maximum storage and loss moduli of 28185.20 and 5333.60 MPa, respectively and lowest damping property/tan delta value of 0.45. Summarily, the innovativeand optimal stacking sequenced sample B/C/TiMFPLs exhibited promising mechanical and thermomechanical properties for appropriate high-impact, structural and load-absorbing applications.