Mechanical, ballistic, and dynamic behaviour of rGO-reinforced kevlar–basalt/epoxy hybrid composites for lightweight engineering applications
7 affiliations
- 1College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- 2Faculty of Civil Engineering, Experimental Centre, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thakurova 7, 166 29, Prague 6, Czech Republic
- 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, LSU New Orleans, New Orleans, LA70148, USA
- 4Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai600119, India
- 5Centre of Waste Management, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai600119, India
- 6Fiber Composite Laboratory, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, 603103, India
- 7College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China
Abstract
Nanoparticle-reinforced hybrid composites have attracted considerable attention for lightweight structural applications owing to their superior mechanical performance and impact resistance. This study investigates the influence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the mechanical, ballistic, dynamic, and microstructural behaviour of Kevlar–Basalt/epoxy hybrid composite laminates fabricated using the hand lay-up technique. Four laminates containing 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt% rGO were evaluated through tensile, compression, flexural, ballistic, free vibration, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The laminate containing 0.2 wt% rGO exhibited the optimum quasi-static mechanical and dynamic performance, with improvements of 7.8 % in tensile strength, 70.2 % in compressive strength, and 24.6 % in flexural strength compared with the neat laminate. In contrast, the laminate reinforced with 0.3 wt% rGO demonstrated superior ballistic performance, increasing the energy absorption from 39.94 % to 84.01 %, while reducing the residual projectile velocity from 93.0 m/s to 47.98 m/s and the damaged area from 368.21 mm2 to 276.48 mm2. Free vibration analysis confirmed improved dynamic stiffness at the optimum rGO loading. SEM analysis revealed progressive improvements in fracture morphology and crack propagation behaviour, while XRD and FTIR confirmed that rGO incorporation preserved the fundamental structural and chemical characteristics of the hybrid laminates. These findings demonstrate that the incorporation of an optimum rGO concentration enhances the multifunctional performance of Kevlar–Basalt hybrid composites, highlighting their potential for lightweight structural and protective applications.
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BibTeX
@article{mahdi2026mechanical,
title = {{Mechanical, ballistic, and dynamic behaviour of rGO-reinforced kevlar–basalt/epoxy hybrid composites for lightweight engineering applications}},
author = {Hosseini Mahdi and Gaff Milan and Hui David and Li Haitao and Joshua Jensin and Shathrak R. Prem and Rasheed S. Shaik and Kaliappan Alagar and Ghosh Pritam and Hosseini Ahmad},
journal = {Nanotechnology Reviews},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1515/ntrev-2025-0376},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2025-0376},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mechanical, ballistic, and dynamic behaviour of rGO-reinforced kevlar–basalt/epoxy hybrid composites for lightweight engineering applications
AU - Hosseini Mahdi
AU - Gaff Milan
AU - Hui David
AU - Li Haitao
AU - Joshua Jensin
AU - Shathrak R. Prem
AU - Rasheed S. Shaik
AU - Kaliappan Alagar
AU - Ghosh Pritam
AU - Hosseini Ahmad
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Nanotechnology Reviews
DO - 10.1515/ntrev-2025-0376
UR - https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2025-0376
AB - Nanoparticle-reinforced hybrid composites have attracted considerable attention for lightweight structural applications owing to their superior mechanical performance and impact resistance. This study investigates the influence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the mechanical, ballistic, dynamic, and microstructural behaviour of Kevlar–Basalt/epoxy hybrid composite laminates fabricated using the hand lay-up technique. Four laminates containing 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt% rGO were evaluated through tensile, compression, flexural, ballistic, free vibration, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The laminate containing 0.2 wt% rGO exhibited the optimum quasi-static mechanical and dynamic performance, with improvements of 7.8 % in tensile strength, 70.2 % in compressive strength, and 24.6 % in flexural strength compared with the neat laminate. In contrast, the laminate reinforced with 0.3 wt% rGO demonstrated superior ballistic performance, increasing the energy absorption from 39.94 % to 84.01 %, while reducing the residual projectile velocity from 93.0 m/s to 47.98 m/s and the damaged area from 368.21 mm2 to 276.48 mm2. Free vibration analysis confirmed improved dynamic stiffness at the optimum rGO loading. SEM analysis revealed progressive improvements in fracture morphology and crack propagation behaviour, while XRD and FTIR confirmed that rGO incorporation preserved the fundamental structural and chemical characteristics of the hybrid laminates. These findings demonstrate that the incorporation of an optimum rGO concentration enhances the multifunctional performance of Kevlar–Basalt hybrid composites, highlighting their potential for lightweight structural and protective applications.
SN - 2191-9097
SN - 2191-9089
ER -