This study investigates the fabrication and evaluation of hybrid sandwich panels featuring Aramid honeycomb and PVC foam cores, reinforced with chopped glass fibers and eco-friendly bamboo mats, to enhance mechanical properties for high-performance aerospace and automotive applications. The panels were fabricated using the hand lay-up method and cured for 48 h at 120 kg uniform pressure, and it is maintained at a 30°C ambient temperature. Mechanical tests such as tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness tests were conducted. The fracture surface analysis with the help of SEM was also performed. Mechanical testing showed that the PVC foam core with reinforcement had a tensile strength of 69.5 MPa, a 44.9% improvement over synthetic composites, due to the bamboo mats’ load-bearing capacity. The Aramid honeycomb core exhibited superior flexural strength (122.92 MPa) and energy absorption. Impact tests revealed that bamboo mats achieved an impact strength of 16 J, 166.7% higher than glass fiber composites. The Shore D hardness test indicated the Aramid composite was the most rigid (87.67), while density measurements highlighted the lightweight nature of bamboo mats. Moisture absorption studies showed bamboo mats absorbed more water (11.61%), reducing flexural strength by 17.6%, whereas Aramid composites only saw a 5.3% reduction. SEM analysis revealed fracture patterns that emphasized the need for improved fiber-matrix bonding. The study highlights the potential of hybrid natural-synthetic composites for high-performance, eco-friendly materials that offer durability, lightweight properties, and superior mechanical performance, perfect for a wide range of applications in aerospace structures, automotive components, marine applications, and civil infrastructure.
Rahman et al. (Thu,) studied this question.