Mechanical Behavior of High Temperature Hybrid Carbon Fiber/Titanium Laminates

The aim of this paper was to investigate the tensile and flexural properties of hybrid laminates made with titanium sheets and high modulus carbon fiber composites. Grade II titanium was used, which exhibits great high-temperature performance and creep resistance, low weight, and high strength. An inorganic fireproof matrix, known as geopolymer, was used to fabricate the high modulus carbon fiber composites. Previous studies have shown that these composites are strong, durable, lightweight, and can exhibit excellent performance up to 400°C. In the present study, a number of specimens were tested in uniaxial tension and four-point bending after exposure at elevated temperatures. The results indicate that the addition of carbon fibers can reduce the weight and increase the stiffness of the pure titanium. Moreover, the hybrid laminates are stronger and stiffer than the sum of the individual strengths and stiffnesses of the parent materials. An important finding is that the interlaminar bond is strong, and as a result no delamination failures were observed.