In this study, the mechanical behavior of hybrid composite layers produced using luffa fiber as a natural fiber and carbon fiber fabric as a synthetic reinforcement was investigated. Hybrid composites were produced by hand lay-up method in (45º-90º-L-L-90º-45º), (0/90º-90 -L-L-90º- 0/90º) and (0/90º-45º- L-L-45º-0/90º) configurations with different layer combinations and fiber orientation angles, and cured under hot press. Low-speed impact tests (10 J and 20 J), three-point bending tests, and tensile tests were performed on the produced specimens. In impact tests, the (0/90º–45º–L–L–45º–0/90º) specimen reached the highest maximum force 7200 N at 20 J and limited deformation, about 20% higher energy absorption than the (45º–90º–L–L–90º–45º) specimen. The (0/90º–90º–L–L–90º–0/90º) specimen showed intermediate behavior, while the (45º–90º–L–L–90º–45º) specimen exhibited greater deformation. Three-point bending tests showed the (0/90º–45º–L–L–45º–0/90º) specimen had the highest load 280 N, 12% higher than (45º–90º–L–L–90º–45º) specimen, and tensile tests indicated the same specimen achieved the highest strength 340 MPa, 15% higher than (45º–90º–L–L–90º–45º) specimen. The results indicate that the carbon fiber orientation angle and layer combination have a decisive effect on the impact, bending, and tensile behavior of hybrid composites. Accordingly, it is concluded that by optimizing the layer arrangement according to the intended use, suitable material design can be achieved for applications requiring high strength or high energy absorption capacity, and the hybrid composite structures examined in this study can be considered as alternative materials for applications such as bumpers, grilles, headlight frames, and trim parts in the automotive industry.
Şi̇mşi̇r et al. (Mon,) studied this question.