Effect of stacking sequence, fiber type and fiber loading on the mechanical and electrical performances of hybrid polymer composites using Taguchi technique

This research investigates the mechanical and dielectric properties of a composite which consists of polyester resin reinforced with various fibers including carbon fibers (CF), aloe vera fiber (AV), bamboo fiber (BF) and palm fiber (PF). These types of composites are formed utilizing the hand lay-up method followed by the hot compression method with three different types of stacking sequence as well as filler amounts by weight of 1, 3 and 5%. The effects of stacking design, fiber type and filler content on the performance of the composites are investigated using the Taguchi optimization method and ANOVA for statistical analysis. The tensile strength (TS)/flexural strength (FS) and dielectric constant (DC) properties of the hybrid stacked polymer composites (HSPCs), are determined using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM), the dielectric constant apparatus respectively. Experiments find that composite mechanical/electrical properties are impacted by stacking sequence, type of natural fiber and filler content. Sample HSPC2 (S1 stacking, bamboo fiber reinforcement) exhibits highest tensile (63.7 MPa) and flexural (189.12 MPa) strengths. Improved insulation/dielectric stability through optimized stacking/fiber combinations is supported by dielectric analysis. HSPC3 has the lowest value of dielectric constant of about 3.4. Taguchi S/N ratio/ANOVA analysis demonstrates that fiber type has the most impact on overall composite performance. Improved strong fiber-polyester adhesion and uniform filler distribution in optimized composites are observed in SEM photographs. Enhanced mechanical/dielectric performance of the developed HSPCs makes them applicable for lightweight structural/automotive/electrical insulation applications.