Effect of strain rate on indentation behaviour of kenaf-based fibre metal laminates

Abstract

Kenaf natural fibre has become the subject of interest for a wide range of engineering sectors due to its biodegradable and robust mechanical properties [1, 2]. Akil et. al. [3] presented a review on kenaf fibre reinforced composites and mentioned that the application of kenaf fibre-reinforced composite as an alternative composite material is highly plausible with both lightweight and low cost as its main advantages. This situation has lead researchers to investigate the potential offered by kenaf fibre reinforced composites [4-6]. However, research on kenaf-based fibre metal laminates (FMLs) is still not clear and thus demands extensive research investigation. In this study, the effect of strain rate on the indentation behaviour of the FMLs subjected to static indentation loading was investigated. The fibre metal laminates were made of chopped strand mat kenaf fibre with epoxy resin composite and 0.6 mm thickness of 1100-O aluminium alloy sheet by using vacuum infusion process (VIP) and hydraulic pressing technique. Several samples of 2/1 lay-up and 3/2 lay-up of FMLs were prepared for indentation tests. The experiments were conducted by using a universal testing machine with strain rate of 1 mm/min, 10 mm/min and 100 mm/min.