Enhancement of Composite Performance by Hollow Polyester Fibers

The effects of hollow glass fibers (HGF) on tensile and compression strength and bulk properties of polymeric composites have been studied. In this research, the improvement of impact behavior of composites using hollow polyester fibers is investigated. The damage tolerance of composites reinforced by unidirectional hollow ductile fibers is compared with solid fibers reinforced composites under drop weight impact tests. It is found that hollow fibers composites despite the lower modulus in comparison to solid ones are more impact resistant. It is also found that the force at the crack initiation of composites composed of hollow fibers is 9.5% higher than the other one. It is notable that the damage tolerance is increased to 71% in the hollow fiber specimens.