Abstract

The present study investigates the combined influence of manufacturing route and material configuration on the mechanical, elastic, viscoelastic, and impact behavior of Kevlar–carbon hybrid laminates. Three eight-ply laminate configurations (V1, V2, and V3) were manufactured through distinct technological routes: fully prepreg-based hot pressing, Kevlar-prepreg/dry-carbon hand lay-up followed by vacuum curing, and multi-stage hybrid consolidation combining repeated hot pressing with subsequent vacuum curing. The experimental characterization included tensile tests according to ASTM D3039, compression tests according to ASTM D695, determination of Young’s modulus from extensometer measurements and Poisson’s ratio using strain-gauge instrumentation, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and low-velocity impact tests under controlled energy conditions. The novelty of this work consists in the integrated process–configuration–property comparison of these Kevlar–carbon hybrid routes within the same experimental framework, rather than in a generic demonstration that manufacturing affects composite laminates. The V1 laminate exhibited the highest strength-related performance, reaching an average tensile strength of 335.88 MPa and a compressive strength of 165.85 MPa, and it also showed the highest DMA storage modulus at 30 °C, E’ = 53.42 GPa. The V2 laminate presented lower tensile performance but the most pronounced damping response, with the highest tanδ peak value. The Young’s modulus determined from the extensometer measurements was 29.26 ± 1.45 GPa for V1, 26.10 ± 0.22 GPa for V2, and 29.52 ± 1.27 GPa for V3, indicating comparable longitudinal stiffness for the V1 and V3 laminates. The results indicate that the measured behavior is governed by the combined effects of reinforcement form, matrix/resin arrangement, consolidation route, and laminate architecture. Direct quantification of laminate compaction, fiber volume fraction, and void content was outside the scope of the present experimental campaign and is identified as a necessary step for future validation.

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