Mechanical properties of a new type super hybrid material

The new material is composed of alternating bonded layers of high strength aluminum sheets and unidirectional hybrid FRP layers. A hybrid FRP layer is also composed of a CFRP layer sandwiched in between two KFRP layers. The CFRP layers prevent kink band formation in the KFRP layers. The KFRP layers prevent growth of micro-cracks produced on the CFRP layers. At the same time, KFRP layers act as an insulator between an aluminum layer and a CFRP layer to prevent galvanic corrosion. Results of tensile and compressive tests indicated that the mechanical properties of the new material were improved by 10%-50% from those of KFRP/Al. It was also indicated that though the tensile strength of the new material was almost the same as that of CFRP/A1, its failure strain increased by about 40%. Galvanic corrosion in the bonded line was not produced.