Economic and environmental concerns lead the researchers toward development of sustainable and renewable materials of which reinforced composites are part of. The abundantly available natural fibers have attracted the researchers to study their performance as reinforcements and feasibility for making automobile components. The performance of composite materials is mainly assessed through their mechanical properties. However, natural fibers to date were mainly used as reinforcements to create bulk composite components with reduced cost rather than improved mechanical performances. Among the methods available for improving mechanical properties of the natural fiber composites, combined mercerization treatment, hybridization, and incorporation of fly ash fillers in the matrix are the best solutions. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the tensile properties of hybrid kenaf/glass composites with and without fly ash particulate filler as per ASTM standards. Moisture absorption behavior and its effect on the tensile properties of hybrid composites are also investigated. The results revealed that the addition of 10wt % fly ash particles with natural fiber composites increased the tensile strength of composites while hybridization with glass fibers reduced the water absorption properties.

The present study investigates the mechanical characteristics of a hybrid fiber-reinforced composite with aluminium laminates (HFRCAL). The hybrid composite specimens were fabricated by hand layup method including the epoxy as a Matrix material, with Al6061-T6 as the outer layers, while Kevlar-29, carbon fiber, basalt fiber, and E-glass fiber act as hybrid reinforcing laminates with varying order of arrangement. The prepared laminate composites were tested for performance under tensile, flexural, and impact loading conditions. Three combinations of the laminate composites were tested, namely the Al/K/C/E/B/K/Al (Al+5KH+Al), Al/C/B/E/K/C/Al (Al+5CH+Al), and Al/B/C/E/K/B/Al (Al+5BH+Al) composition laminates. Among the tested specimens, it was found that the Al+5KH+Al laminate composite exhibited the highest yield strength of 220 MPa, and Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 245 MPa. These were 11.53% and 11.2% higher than those of Al+5CH+Al, while Al+5BH+Al exhibited the lowest UTS of 202 MPa. During flexural loading, the Al+5CH+Al showed the highest flexural strength of 305.6 MPa which was 35.5% higher than that of Al+5BH+Al and 38.33% higher than the flexural strength of Al+5KH+Al. The impact strength of Al+5KH+Al was higher by 5.74% and 11.73% of Al+5CH+Al and Al+5BH+Al respectively.