Hybrid composites - State-of-the-art review: Analysis, design, application and fabrication

The review covers hybrid composites that consist of two or more different types of fibers (or fiber composites) in a frequently repeated pattern in a laminate. The fibers considered are boron, graphite, glass, and Kevlar; the resins considered include mostly structural epoxies, with some utilization of polyimides and thermoplastics. The review shows that considerable data have been generated for the tensile strength properties, as well as tensile and thermal fatigue, of interply hybrids, and for the impact resistance of interply and intraply hybrids. The rule of mixtures appears to be adequate for predicting longitudinal and transverse mechanical properties of unidirectional interply hybrids, and linear laminate theory appears to be adequate for predicting the elastic response of hybrids.