Comparison of mechanical properties of boron and Kevlar-49 reinforced thermosetting composites and their economic implications

The use of Boron and Kevlar-49 based composite materials is just emerging. To facilitate their wider adoption, one needs to have adequate data on their mechanical properties, durability, production costs, etc. in the design stage. In order to fill up this gap, the aim of this study is to characterise the mechanical properties of these reinforced composites so that manufacturers can readily use them on the basis of performance and economic considerations. Composites were prepared by incorporating these fibres in Polyimide and Polyester thermosetting plastics, and these composites were tested in tension, compression and bending. The experimental results are compared with those predicted by a number of micromechanics models. The limitations of these models in predicting the properties as well as their dependency on the properties of constituent materials have been explored. Finally, the performance of these composites are compared and ranked on a cost-benefit basis so that their selection for different applications could be justified. Copyright © (2012) by Asian-Australasian Association for Composite Materials (AACM).