The automobile industry is searching for materials that offer superior mechanical
and thermal properties. With this objective, the current study delves into the
potential advantages of integrating nanofillers into hybrid composite structures
tailored for vehicle applications. The investigation employed Kevlar fiber, a
renowned material in vehicular composites, and reinforced it with an epoxy
matrix, crafting a nanocomposite surface. This method was paralleled by
incorporating nanoparticle-infused resin into the Kevlar fiber. The
concentration of nano clay within the epoxy resin was adjusted across different
weight percentages: 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%. Both composite and nanomaterial
panels were meticulously crafted using the hand layup method post-curing. The
outcome was enlightening: the tensile strength of the clay/epoxy/Kevlar
composite surged by 10.54% at the 7.5 wt% clay concentration. This enhancement,
however, saw a decline in higher clay incorporations. The study also unveiled
that the elastic modulus of these hybrid composites resonated better performance
at reduced clay levels, peaking impressively at 381.47 MPa and 9.14 GPa for the
7.5 wt% variant. The same clay concentration bore witness to a zenith in
flexural strength and modulus, registering 421.58 MPa and 15.01 GPa remarkable
13.15% upsurge when juxtaposed against the baseline Kevlar mix. Notably, the
Interlaminar shear strength for this composition reached 96.21 MPa, overshooting
the baseline Kevlar by 23%. However, shifting to a 10% clay mix reduced the
interlaminar shear strength to 61.94 MPa, marking a 9% decrease from the
baseline. Thermally, the composite showcased optimal stability at the lower clay
concentrations from 0°C to 180°C. SEM imaging further buttressed these findings,
highlighting that a 7.5% clay-enriched hybrid composite possessed distinct and
advantageous surface features, making it a promising candidate for
next-generation vehicle applications.