Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Lightweight Hybrid Composites Under Low Velocity Impact

The experimental and numerical study of Jute—Basalt hybrid composites was performed under low-velocity impact (LVI) considering the low cost and higher specific strength and stiffness. Hybrid composites were fabricated using the vacuum infusion method to improve fiber volume fraction to reduce the air defect. The LVI tests were conducted on the Instron 9350 model at three impacting energies of 10 J, 20 J, and 30 J to study the impact force, absorbed energy, maximum displacement, and damaged area. The failure behaviour of impact-tested specimens of the natural fiber composites obtained from CT Scan was validated by three–dimensional numerical modelling using the VUMAT subroutine in ABAQUS/Explicit. The experimental and numerical results showed that the peak force and absorbed energy were significantly improved and adding basalt fabric enhanced the peak performance of jute composite. The simulation results helped to understand the delamination phenomenon which was not visible in the samples after the test. Experimental results were validated with numerical simulation results considering the 10, 20, and 30 J energy level. The peak force of B-JFRP was improved due to hybridization and the damage resistance of it could be seen as the impactor was unable to perforate at 30 J fully. The alternating stacking sequence helped in minimizing the use of basalt fabric and enhanced the overall performance of the hybrid composite. Biodegradable hybrid natural fiber composites are a promising category for developing lightweight and impact-resistant structural materials for marine applications, wind turbine, and defense industry applications.