GRD Journals- Global Research and Development Journal for Engineering | Volume 2 | Issue 2 | January 2017

ISSN: 2455-5703

Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Glass

Transition Temperature Analysis of
Kevlar/Glass Fiber Epoxy Hybrid Composites
R.Rangaraj
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Riyadh Ceramic, Saudi Arabia

J.Prabakaran S.Gopal
Assistant Professor Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
Muthayammal Engineering College, Rasipuram Muthayammal Engineering College, Rasipuram

K.Kannan P.Ramesh
Assistant Professor Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
Muthayammal Engineering College, Rasipuram Muthayammal Engineering College, Rasipuram

Abstract
In this paper an experimental demonstration were carried out on Kevlar/fiberglass composite laminates subjected to thermal
properties. Epoxy based hybrid composites were prepared by hand layup followed by compression molding method. The
Kevlar/fiberglass hybrid epoxy composites are manufactured at various ratio such as (50:50, 45:55, 40:60, and 35:65). The effect
of epoxy resin on thermal properties was studied. The results showed that thermal properties such as Glass transition temperature,
storage & loss modulus, Youngs modulus percentage of weight loss and fiber content of hybrid epoxy composites have been
studied.
Keywords- Epoxy, Dynamic Mechanical properties and Glass Transition, Kevlar/fiberglass

I. INTRODUCTION
Kevlar and glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are widely used in a number of aerospace and non-aerospace applications. One
of the most popular composite systems involves the combination of Kevlar fiber and epoxy resin. Glass fibers are better known
for their, medium modulus, strength and stability, but are unsuitable for use in fatigue resistant composites, while glass fibers are
characterized by high modulus, low density and superior thermal properties. The objective of this work therefore, is to study the
effect, of fiber fraction on the thermal behaviour of composites containing, Kevlar and glass hybrid reinforcement in a bi functional
epoxy resin system. The Thermo gravimetric Analysis technique (TGA) has been chosen and adopted to monitor the behaviour as
it best represents the composites weight loss (which is mainly due to matrix loss) with temperature. The Hybrid composites of
different fiber fractions were subjected to thermal degradation in a TGA furnace under nitrogen atmosphere to avoid any oxidation
effects and respective thermo grams were recorded. Dynamic mechanical properties were employed to analyze the thermal behavior
of hybrid composites.
To extend the burn off test protocol in ASTM D 3171-99 to the determination of the fiber and void contents of Kevlar/glass
hybrid composites.

II. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

A. Material description
Epoxy resin system chosen is LY55/HY951.Unidirectional reinforced epoxy composites were manufactured by stacking the pre
impregnated (prepregs) layers into an compression mold, applying epoxy resin and curing at 80C for 120 min at 1500 kPa. The
specimen square plate is 300 mm X 300 mm X 3mm.

B. Fabrication of hybrid composites

To remove absorbed moisture, and prevent void formation, Kevlar and glass fiber were dried at 80c for several hours before use.
The hand lay-up technique was used for the preparation in hybrid composites. They are various layers such as 12 and 10 layers.

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 Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Glass Transition Temperature Analysis of Kevlar/Glass Fiber Epoxy Hybrid Composites
(GRDJE/ Volume 2 / Issue 2 / 003)

The Kevlar and glass woven fabric were impregnated with epoxy resin and placed over the other in the compression molding. The
mold was kept under pressure in 1500kpa for 20 min at 80c to obtain partial curing of the resin. After the sample removed from
mold and placed in atmosphere. For specimen were prepared in various ratios such as 35:65, 40:60, 45:55, and 50:50.

C. Method
The characterization (determination of physical properties) of composites included determination of composite apparent density,
weight content of fibers, of fibers and volume content of voids, void contents of the cured composites were measured according to
ASTM D2734. The reinforcement weight fraction, Mf was determined by the resin burn-off technique.
Thermal properties of the samples were tested by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning
calorimetric (DSC). DMA was carried out on a TA Instrument Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer 2980 at a heating rate of 3C/min
from 20 to 160C and an oscillation frequency of 10 Hz. DSC experiments were performed in a DMA Q800 V20.9Build 27. DSC
from TGA Instruments on 1020 mg samples. The temperature was varied from 20 to 160C at a constant heating rate of 3C/min.
The analysis was performed under a nitrogen purge to prevent oxidation. The glass transition temperature is generally used for
setting the curing conditions, because it is closely related to the degree of curing.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

DSC curves of Kevlar and glass fiber composites can be seen in Fig.1 to 4. In the hybrid curves one brand endothermic peak was
observed at 122.5c for Kevlar and glass fiber commingled woven which corresponds to the glass transition temperature (Tg). The
Tg of Kevlar textured woven was close to 112.3C. DSC curves of Kevlar woven also indicated a sharp endothermic peak with
the minimum at 122.5C,139.7C, 131.1C and 127.7C, respectively. Then from 122.5c to 580C, the DSC curves indicated an
endothermic peak at a 10C min-1 heating rate under a static air atmosphere. The DSC curves of Kevlar fibers showed an
endothermic peak at 472.0C, 511.9C and 536.0C respectively, before the melting point of Kevlar fiber. Only the Kevlar fiber
possessed a glass transition temperature around 122.5C with the decomposition of the Kevlar and glass fiber taking place
immediately after melting. The DSC/TG curves of Kevlar fiber under a static air atmosphere and at a heating rate of -0.3 to 2.6 C
min-1. The kinematic parameters have been derived based on the peak temperature program rate relation, or the so called non
isothermal techniques.

Fig. 1: DSC curves of Kevlar and glass fiber ratio 35:65

Fig. 2: DSC curves of Kevlar and glass fiber ratio 40:60

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 Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Glass Transition Temperature Analysis of Kevlar/Glass Fiber Epoxy Hybrid Composites
(GRDJE/ Volume 2 / Issue 2 / 003)

Fig. 3: DSC curves of Kevlar and glass fiber ratio 45:55

Fig. 4: DSC curves of Kevlar and glass fiber ratio 50:50

In all cases, storage modulus decrease with increase of temperature. At any particular temperature, storage modulus slightly
increases with increase in volume fraction glass fiber and decrease with increasing temperature. Kevlar and glass the melting peak
is shifted to high temperature region (92C-98C). As in the case of storage modulus, loss modulus of all the composites decreases
with increasing temperature. It can also be noted that a slight increase in loss modulus is observed with increase in volume fraction
of glass fiber at temperature range (0-160C).
Sample: 1203005 a File: C:...\Testing2011\1203005\1203005 a.001
Size: 35.0000 x 12.7300 x 2.8900 mm DMA Operator: TA
Method: Temperature Ramp Run Date: 23-Mar-2012 10:40
Instrument: DMA Q800 V20.9 Build 27
6000 800
106.13C
0.3792

99.88C
649.6MPa

0.3 600

4000
Storage Modulus (MPa)

Loss Modulus (MPa)

Tan Delta

0.2 400

2000

0.1 200

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Temperature (C) Universal V4.5A TA Instruments

Fig. 5: DMA curves of kevlar and glass fiber ratio 35:65

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 Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Glass Transition Temperature Analysis of Kevlar/Glass Fiber Epoxy Hybrid Composites
(GRDJE/ Volume 2 / Issue 2 / 003)

Sample: 1203005 b File: C:...\Testing2011\1203005\1203005 b.001

Size: 35.0000 x 12.7800 x 2.7600 mm DMA Operator: TA
Method: Temperature Ramp Run Date: 23-Mar-2012 12:57
Instrument: DMA Q800 V20.9 Build 27
10000 1400
92.03C
1319MPa

98.21C 1200
0.4184
8000 0.4

1000
Storage Modulus (MPa)

Loss Modulus (MPa)

6000 0.3
800

Tan Delta
600
4000 0.2

400

2000 0.1

200

0 0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Temperature (C) Universal V4.5A TA Instruments

Fig. 6: DMA curves of kevlar and glass fiber ratio 40:60

Sample: 1203005 c File: C:...\Testing2011\1203005\1203005 c.001

Size: 35.0000 x 12.7500 x 2.7900 mm DMA Operator: TA
Method: Temperature Ramp Run Date: 23-Mar-2012 14:35
Instrument: DMA Q800 V20.9 Build 27
12000 1400
96.09C
1351MPa

1200
10000 102.27C
0.3181
0.3
1000
8000
Storage Modulus (MPa)

Loss Modulus (MPa)

800
Tan Delta

6000 0.2

600

4000
400
0.1

2000
200

0 0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Temperature (C) Universal V4.5A TA Instruments

Fig. 7: DMA curves of kevlar and glass fiber ratio 45:60

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 Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Glass Transition Temperature Analysis of Kevlar/Glass Fiber Epoxy Hybrid Composites
(GRDJE/ Volume 2 / Issue 2 / 003)

Sample: 1203005 d File: C:...\Testing2011\1203005\1203005 d.001

Size: 35.0000 x 12.7500 x 2.7900 mm DMA Operator: TA
Method: Temperature Ramp Run Date: 23-Mar-2012 15:50
Instrument: DMA Q800 V20.9 Build 27
14000 2500
84.08C
0.4714

12000
79.49C
2096MPa 0.4 2000

10000
Storage Modulus (MPa)

Loss Modulus (MPa)

0.3 1500
8000

Tan Delta
6000
0.2 1000

4000

0.1 500

2000

0 0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Temperature (C) Universal V4.5A TA Instruments

Fig. 8: DMA curves of kevlar and glass fiber ratio 50:50

IV. CONCLUSION
Almost all the measurements that can be done at different temperatures can be expanded into thermal analysis such as glass
transition temperature and dynamic mechanic analysis can combined with various ratios such as 35:65, 40:60, 45:55, 50:50. From
all results presented in this work, we can conclude that the hybridization of based composites with modified kevar/ glass fiber
improves the thermal and increases the glass transition temperature without affecting the thermal stability. Considering the good
properties of epoxy as low density and low cost, the interesting features reached with the fictionalizations of Kevlar fiber may be
very useful for the development of higher performance composites with a thermal stability comparable to the epoxy-based
composites.

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