Original article

Journal of Reinforced Plastics and

Composites
Hybrid composites for automotive 0(0) 1–11
! The Author(s) 2019
applications – A review Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0731684419849708
journals.sagepub.com/home/jrp

B Ravishankar1, Sanjay K Nayak2 and M Abdul Kader1

Abstract
Composites have become preferred material for weight reduction in automobile. Hybrid composite materials are used
in many engineering applications for their versatile properties like lightweight, strength to weight ratio, low cost, ease of
structure development and high strength. Automobile industry utilizes composites and hybrid composites in many of the
interior and exterior applications. Considering ease of manufacturing methods under the wider choice of fabrication
techniques, hybrid composites are developed wherever it can contribute for the enhancement of functional requirement
simply by replacing the existing materials. Hybrid composites made from blending of natural and synthetic fibers in a
polymer matrix show synergistic effect on properties which cannot be achieved from normal composites. In this paper,
hybrid composites and especially its types, diversity of properties and possible material combinations are reviewed in
detail. The development of a various type of hybrid composites in automotive applications such as in automotive piston
application, brake friction material for medium duty automotive application, development of eco-friendly automotive
anti-roll bar and low-velocity impact response of hybrid carbon/glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites are also
reviewed in detail.

Keywords
Hybrid composite, composites in automobiles, natural fibers, mechanical properties

Introduction engineering applications over any other conventional

Composites are widely used in applications where
mechanical strength is one of the important parame-
ters. Industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine,
and oil and gas extensively utilize composites and are
considered as major players in global market of com-
posite industry. Composites also find extensive utiliza-
tion in other industries including electrical and
electronics. Composites market was valued at over
USD 76 billion in 2016 and is expected to surge at a
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.9%
between 2017 and 2025. The future market perfor-
mance is driven by more spending on aerospace,
defense and construction sectors, rising demand for
wind power and concern on fuel consumption of auto-
mobile & transportation coupled with environmental
issues. There is an increase in demand for weight reduc-
tion in automobile to enhance fuel efficiency and to
reduce hazardous emissions products. Composites can
offer lightweight benefits ranging from 15% to 40%
depending on the type of reinforcement used.
Moreover, composite materials are preferred in many
materials because of their high strength, light in
weight, good strength to weight ratio, corrosion resis-
tance, high impact strength, design flexibility, part con-
solidation, dimensional stability, and nonconductive,
nonmagnetic, radar-transparent, and low thermal con-
ductivity properties.1
Polymer composites segment dominated the global
composites having 95% volume share for total com-
posite market in 2016. Polymer composites consisting
of organic/inorganic/metallic reinforcements show var-
iable mechanical properties depending on the type of
reinforcement and matrix material. Similarly, polymer
1
School for Advanced Research in Polymers – ARSTPS, Central Institute
of Plastics Engineering & Technology, Chennai, India
2
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, Chennai, India
Corresponding author:
M Abdul Kader, School for Advanced Research in Polymers – ARSTPS,
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, TVK Industrial
Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032, India.
Email: kader36@yahoo.com
2 Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 0(0)

composites having various construction features also billion by the year 2025 expanding at an estimated
exhibit a wide range of properties. Hence, the proper- CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period.2 The
ties of composite materials can further be improved by market is characterized by the presence of large-scale
incorporating the right choice of constituent materials automobile production and some stringent regulations
and selecting proper fiber orientation, fiber density, implemented in the automobile industry. Again, the
fabrication method, composition of composite materi- revenue generated from polymer composites for auto-
als, etc. motive applications and the future forecast of its share
Hybrid composites are widely used in engineering, for revenue is much higher than that of other types of
medical, defense and other industries. The research in composites as indicated in Figure 1(a).2 The consump-
composites is one of the most exciting activities in sci- tion pattern of polymer composites clearly indicates
ence and technology during the past three decades. (Figure 1(b)) that the majority of composite materials
Many methods are applied to change the composition goes towards exterior and structural components justi-
and to control the properties of this wonder material. fying requirement of large quantity of polymer compo-
New composite materials are developed for specific sites in automobile industries.
applications and the technology is transferred to indus- Currently, the automobile industry is going through
tries for bulk production. Particularly, the combination challenges in aligning their production (or) assembly
of functional inorganic materials with functional processes with enhanced material processes and inno-
organic and biological components made hybrid mate- vative designs, specifically for large volume production
rials to play probably the broadest role in different facilities. Even though steel and aluminum perform
disciplines of materials science and technology. well in auto parts, successful weight reduction can be
Engineered composites (mortars, concrete, rein- achieved by the use of high-performance Fibre
forced plastics, metal composites, ceramic composites, Reinforced Plastics (FRP) composites in the place of
etc.) and natural fiber composites are preferred in many aluminum and steel. The use of multiple reinforcements
engineering applications. The arrangement of reinforc-
ing fibers in a laminate structure possessing good
mechanical and structural strengths is the most discov-
ered area in composites. There are two or more solid
materials in the hybrid mix, which are closely intercon-
nected to each other. Mixed or hybrid reinforcements
may be of two types derived from natural or synthet-
ic sources.
Generally, natural fibers have advantages over syn-
thetic and mineral fibers due to their low density, eco-
friendly, nontoxicity, renewability, biostandardization,
relative nonabrasion, high specific strength, modulus,
and ease of processing. Despite many advantages, nat-
ural fibers have few limitations such as low strength,
low modulus, high moisture absorption and easily
flammable. To overcome these disadvantages, a hybrid-
ization technique is considered by the combining syn-
thetic fiber reinforcement along with natural fibers into
polymer matrix leading to the formation of the hybrid
composite. The hybridization technique allows modify-
ing the properties of the composite to the required
application. In most cases, the hybridization is carried
out to obtain a new class of material that retains the
advantages of its constituent materials and hopefully
overcoming some of their limitations. Another desired
advantage is related to the cost, with one of the two
reinforcements being generally cheaper than the
other one.
In automobile polymer composites market industry Figure 1. (a) US automotive polymer composite market reve-
report, it is reported that the market size for automo- nue, by product, projected up to 2025. Reproduced from Grand
tive polymer composite was valued to be USD 6.40 View Research.2 (b) Global application pattern of polymer
billion in 2016 and it is expected to be USD 11.62 composite in automotive components.
Ravishankar et al.
in hybrid composites helps in further weight reduction
along with enhancement in performance.
By enhancing the end of life value of composites by
optimum recycling technique, the overall life cycle
assessment score gets improved. The end of life vehicle
directive for cars stipulates mandatory use of recycling
85% of vehicle components, although energy recovery
is not considered as recycling.
Growing demand for fuel economic vehicles and
increasing production of lightweight automobile com-
ponents are some of the factors that anticipate prompt-
ing manufacturers to opt for backward integration in
the chain value. As per the survey, the automobile
manufacturers are expanding their production facilities
across the globe to focus and cater to the growing
market demand.
Types of hybrid composites
The demand for hybrid composites is largely weighed
by the development of the automotive and transporta-
tion, aerospace and defense, marine, wind energy, and
sporting goods end-use industries. Although the classi-
fication of hybrid composites is exhaustive, the method
of manufacturing the hybrid composite is considered as
the main criterion for classifying hybrid composite.
On considering the way constituent materials are
arranged, the hybrid composites are classified
as follows3:
1. Interply hybrids in which two (or more) layers do
not interfere with hybrids that have the same
reinforcements.
2. Intraply hybrids, in which two (or more) fibers are
mixed in the same layers.
3. Intermingled hybrids where the constituent fibers are
mixed randomly as possible so that no concentra-
tions of either type are present in the material.
4. Selective hybrids where placements in which rein-
forcements are placed wherever additional strength
is required, over the base reinforcing laminate layer
5. Super hybrid composites which contain metal foils
or metal composite plies stacked in a specified
orientation.
Table 1. Properties of thermoset polymer matrix material for hybrid composite.3
S. no. Thermosets TS (MPa)
1 Epoxies 55–130
2 Phenolic 50–60
3 Polyesters 34–105
4 Vinyl esters 73–81
TS: tensile strength; TM: tensile modulus; FS: flexural strength; FM: flexural modulus.
3
The diversity of properties from possible
material combinations
The diversity of properties obtained from the possible
combinations of constituent material in a polymer
hybrid composite is too many for detailing. Literature
data refers to the most common type of polymer matrix
hybrid composites consisting of carbon/glass, carbon/
Kevlar, and carbon/ultra highmodulus polyethylene
(UHMPE) fiber-reinforced epoxy/vinyl ester/phenolic/
polyester hybrid composites. Other hybrid composite
systems include the reinforcement from carbon/
nylon, aramid/UHMPE, and UHMPE/glass/bio fiber
(pineapple leaf, Cecil, bamboo threads)/glass.4,5
Sometimes, a “hybrid effect,” briefly defined as a pos-
itive deviation of a certain property from the “rule of
mixtures” have been reported. With respect to the ten-
sile behavior, the hybrid effect is generally defined as an
enhancement of the first failure strain of the low-
elongation fiber component of hybrid composite.
Properties of hybrid polymer composites
Among many matrix materials, polymers are found
useful for preparing composites because of their versa-
tility. Both thermoset and thermoplastic polymers are
mostly used. Table 1 shows the physicomechanical
properties of matrix materials. The mechanical proper-
ties of natural/synthetic fiber-reinforced thermosets
composite increase because of the incorporation of syn-
thetic fiber. Incorporation of glass fiber has shown
great development in the mechanical properties of nat-
ural fiber embedded thermoset composites. The tensile,
flexural, and chemical resistance properties of sisal/
carbon fiber-reinforced polyester hybrid composites
have been developed positively compared to both
sisal and carbon composites.
Tables 2 and 3 show the variety of reinforcing fibrous
materials derived from natural and synthetic sources
and their characteristics properties, respectively.
A study on the mechanical properties of the glass/
sisal/jute hybrid polyester composite noted that the
inclusion of glass fiber, jute, and sisal fiber-enhanced
the mechanical properties composite. It is observed
Glass transition
temperature Specific
TM (GPa) FS (MPa) FM (GPa) (Tg) ( C) gravity
2.7–4.1 110–150 3–4 170–300 1.2–1.3
4–7 80–135 2–4 175 1.2–1.3
2.1–3.5 70–110 2–4 130–160 1.1–1.4
3–3.5 130–140 3 – 1.1–1.3
4 Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 0(0)

Table 2. Mechanical properties of reinforcing fibers natural source.6–8

Diameter Density
S. no. Fibers Species Parts of plant (lm) (g/cm3) TS (MPa) TM (GPa) Elongation (%)

1 Abaca Musa textiles Leaf 10–30 1.5 430–813 31.1–33.6 2.9

2 Jute Corchorusc apsularis Bast 25–250 1.3–1.49 393–800 13–26.5 1.16–1.5
3 Sisal Agave sisilana Leaf 50–200 1.34 610–710 9.4–22.2 2–3
4 Cotton Gossypium sp. Seed – 1.5–1.6 287–597 5.5–12.6 7.0–8.0
5 Kenaf Hibiscus cannabinus Stem – 1.45 930 53 1.6
6 Wood (Soft) (>10,000 species) Stem – 1.5 600–1020 18–40 4.4
7 Ramie Boehmerianivea Stem 20–80 1.5 400–938 61.4–128 3.6–3.8
8 Coir Cocos nucifera Fruit 150–250 1.2 175 4–6 30
9 Flax Linum usitatissimum Stem 25 1.5 500–1500 27.6 2.7–3.2
10 Hemp Cannabis sativa Stem 25–600 1.47 690 70 2.0–4.0
TS: tensile strength; TM: tensile modulus.

Table 3. Mechanical properties of mineral and synthetic fibers.9

Coefficient of
S. no. Fiber Diameter (lm) Density (g/cm3) TS (MPa) TM (GPa) Elongation (%) thermal expansion

1 E-glass 10 2.54 3450 72.4 4.8 5.0

2 S-glass 10 2.49 4300 86.9 5.7 2.9
3 Quartz 9 2.2 3400 70 – –
4 Kevlar 49 11.9 1.45 3620 131 2.8–2.2
5 Kevlar 149 11.9 1.47 3450 179 1.9–2.2
6 Carbon fiber (PAN) 10 2.00 4900 230 2 0–1.5
TS: tensile strength; TM: tensile modulus; PAN:Polyacrylonitrile.

that the glass/jute composite yielded maximum tensile
strength and glass/jute/sisal displayed maximum
flexural load while glass/sisal showed the maximum
impact strength.10
The hybrid composites prepared from glass/abaca/
jute as reinforcements and epoxy as a matrix have
shown the maximum value of tensile strength, tensile
modulus, and flexural modulus when compared with
conventional composites.
From the aforementioned works, it is under-
stood that
• Natural fibers can be used in place of synthetic fiber
without compromising the mechanical properties.
• Hybrid composites made from thermoplastic matrix
has shown improved mechanical properties.
• Hybridization process can develop the mechanical
properties of single fiber-reinforced polymer compo-
sites and increase its versatility. Mechanical properties
of natural/synthetic fiber-included hybrid polymer
composites are found to increase due to the inclusion
of either synthetic fiber or natural fiber having compa-
rably high compatibility with the matrix.
• Natural fibers have many advantages such as low
cost, low density, eco-friendly, recyclable, and read-
ily available in the market.
However, only a few studies are reported in the lit-
erature for hybrid composites with respect to the ther-
moplastic matrix.
Hybridization of composites for
automotive applications
Hybridization of coconut coir with glass
fiber composite
Karikalan et al. developed an idea of hybridizing the
polymer matrix composites with synthetic and natural
fibers.11 In their experiment, the laminate was fabricat-
ed with the coconut coir and glass fiber to check their
dissimilar mechanical properties under various circum-
stances. The merger of coconut coir with glass fiber in a
composite has enlarged growing claims of use of hybrid
composite in many extents of engineering and technol-
ogy. The laminate was fabricated by hand layup tech-
nique and it was placed under the load for a week so
that it can bond firmly with one another. The measured
mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness
and impact strength were evaluated on segments of the
composite material made from natural fiber found
useful for automotive and aerospace engineering
Ravishankar et al.
applications.The macroscopic analyses are conceded
out to study the interfacial features of the lami-
nate.12–15
Here, the tested specimens were prepared as per the
ASTM Standards. Finally, the author concluded that
the obtained tensile, impact, flexural, and hardness
properties of the hybdrid composite is higher than the
wood properties and so it can be effectively used in
developing furnitures, hulls, automobile, and aerospace
components.
Hybridization of CCNSp and SiCp hybrid composite
for automobile piston application
Donald et al. have developed a hybrid aluminum
matrix composite for automobile piston application
using locally available material.16 They selected Al
6061 alloy as the matrix material while carbonized
coconut shell particles (CCNSp) and SiCp as reinforce-
ment based on its availability, cost and its natural and
mechanical properties.17–19
• Here the powder metallurgy technique is chosen by
the author as the best suitable method to develop
this composite.
• The mold is developed as per the ASTM standard
for the compaction process, the powder is mixed well
and stuffed into a steel mold made of hard-
ness 65HRC.
• And then the green compacts of the powder blend
are prepared using a hydraulic press with a punch
and die assembly and then the measured powder is
poured carefully into the die by one end closed tem-
porarily.20–25
• After compaction, the powder is sintered inside a
muffle furnace to increase its bonding and mechan-
ical properties.
• After the sintering process, the material is removed
properly and it is machined as per the ASTM E228
standard for the coefficient of thermal expan-
sion (CTE).
The mechanical tests such as indirect tensile
strength, microhardness, and CTE are carried out
experimentally and the obtained results are compared
with the generic piston material properties as shown in
Table 4.
Table 4. Comparison of obtained and generic piston material
properties.16
Tensile strength (MPa) Hardness (MPa)
Generic value 180–230 95–135
Obtained value 172.25–207 64.97–114.87
5
Therefore, the above comparison concluded that the
developed composites showed a significant improve-
ment in mechanical and thermal properties.
Development of Cu/SiC-based hybrid composite
material for brake friction material
Raja et al. carried out an investigation on the synergis-
tic effect of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) in a
Cu/SiC hybrid composite brake friction material which
is shown in Figure 2. In this investigation, various com-
binations of materials were used such as copper as a
matrix, silicon carbide as a reinforcing fiber, graphite as
a solid lubricant, and barium sulfate as a filler com-
bined with varying volume percentage (0.0, 0.5, 1.0,
1.5 and 2.0) of MWCNT by conventional powder met-
allurgy technique.26 Later, the brake friction materials
are characterized to analyze their mechanical proper-
ties such as compression strength, density, and hard-
ness. The tribological behaviors such as friction and
wear were carried out using a pin on-disc test rig with
a linear variable differential transducer for wear rate
and strain gauge for friction measurement under the
dry condition for medium duty applications.
It has been observed that the coefficient of friction
response is stable for 0.5% MWCNT and it is also
observed that further addition of MWCNT up to
2.0% increases the coefficient of friction of the compo-
sites. This is because of the pro-abrasive nature of
MWCNT which is contributing to an increase in the
coefficient of friction, where it is compared as perfor-
mance defining criterion and the sequence of friction
composites as shown in Figure 3.27,28 Moreover, micro-
structural analysis of the tested samples using scanning
electron microscopy also confirms that an increase in
MWCNT volume percentage changes wear mecha-
nisms from adhesive wear to abrasive wear. Initially,
wear loss has increased significantly with the addition
of MWCNT, but further increase in MWCNT volume
percentage has caused the wear loss to decrease.
Although the sample with 0.5% MWCNT volume
Figure 2. Friction materials used in automobile brake system.
6 Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 0(0)
Figure 3. Comparison of PDC for coefficient of friction and
wear of FCs against composition.27 PDC: performance defining
criterion; FC: friction composite.
percentage had high average hardness value, hardness
test has shown some areas where the hardness is very
low which might be the reason for wear loss in samples
within the range of 1.0% and 1.5%. But, on further
inclusion of MWCNT, progress in hardness has been
noted, which results in lower wear rate amongst
all samples.
The addition of MWCNT to Cu/SiC may improve
the load bearing properties of the material due to which
there is a decrease in wear loss. But still, a 2.0%
MWCNT sample has a wear rate higher compared to
Cu/SiC without MWCNT sample. Later, the post-test
analysis carried out on Cu/SiC composite leads to the
following conclusions:
• By the addition of MWCNT in Cu/SiC hybrid brake
composite material, a good improvement was
observed from the tribological properties of the
sample but its strength has decreased.
• Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope
(FESEM) analysis revealed that abrasive wear and
delamination mechanisms are predominantly
observed on the worn-out sample surfaces.
Selection of hybrid biocomposite material for the
automotive anti-roll bar
Mastura et al. stated that designing automotive com-
ponents in substitution of metal along with natural
fiber as the base material is found to cause high-
energy consumption in producing metal components
that affect the environment.29 Therefore, the authors
focused on natural fiber selection for designing auto-
mobile anti-roll bar based on both customer require-
ments and the environment. This study was performed
using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and quality
function deployment for environment (QFDE).
According to Wu et al.,30 in order to develop an eco-
friendly design, designers need to focus on the voice of
environment (VOE) because the voice of the customers
(VOC) solely is not strong enough. Therefore, in addi-
tion to the concept of material selection using quality
function deployment (QFD), environmental aspects
could also be considered in the material selection for
an environmentally conscious design by using QFDE
as a vital tool. Preferring materials using QFDE would
specify a range of materials focused on eco-friendly
materials. This would be merited for the designers as
it would save them time in deciding which materials
could best meet the demands of environmentally con-
scious product design. However, the combination with
other tools is required in order to define the weighting
factor of the VOC and VOE.
Here, AHP is applied in order to obtain the weight
for each requirement, and definition of the relationship
between the needs and engineering metrics is done in
House of Quality (HoQ).31 The relationship between
engineering measurements with material constraints is
defined in material characteristics deployment, and this
leads to the selection of natural fibers. Finally, the envi-
ronmental impact of the top rank in selection is done
using a sustainability tool in SolidWorks 2014
Premium Software.
Table 5 shows the requirements of automobile anti-
roll bar (ARB) collected and tabulated from various
studies.32,33 In terms of the performance, the high
fatigue strength of the ARB is one among the design
requirements obtained from experts where if the ARB
goes through a multiple loading, it could cause crack
initiation leading to design failure. Number of the cycle
before it fails must be high in order for the ARB to
have a longer lifetime. Here, the ARB design requires
impact and break resistance, especially in high-
vibration conditions. Many environmentally friendly
products have suggested that hybrid biocomposites
could be a suitable replacement material for steel and
also can be used in many applications in the automo-
tive industry, especially ARBs.
Based on the work carried out, finally, the author
concluded that the selection of natural fiber is to find
out the best natural fiber that can be hybridized with a
glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite for an auto-
motive anti-roll bar. The selection was done using a
combination of AHP with QFDE based on the custom-
er and environmental constraints. Optimizing the VOC
and VOE has been carried out using AHP with the
constant analysis in order to determine the degree of
consistency of the judgment and improve the confi-
dence level based on the three different simulated sce-
narios from the sensitivity analysis. Later, QFDE was
Ravishankar et al. 7

Table 5. Voice of customer and voice of environment summary.34–43

Criteria Description

Price The lower price is desirable.

Easy to reuse Materials or some parts of the component could be reused for another purpose.
Easy to recycle Materials or some parts of the component could be recycled and used for anoth-
er purpose.
Less transportation Materials or some parts of the component are available within a reasonable radius and
require less transportation during the manufacturing process.
Easy to manufacture Materials of the components are ready either in raw or processed condition and some
parts of the component are machinable.
Durability Materials or some parts of the component have the robustness to encounter multi-
ple loading.
Lightweight Materials and some parts of the component are from non-heavy material.
Easy to maintain The component is easy for the user to handle and maintain.
Reliability The component consists of reliable materials that have higher fatigue strength to ensure
the lifetime of the component.
Long lifetime The component must be able to encounter multiple loading including bending
and torsional.
Impact resistance The component is able to secure the position of the vehicle during a crash or high-impact
loading on the vehicle.
Not easy to break The component keeps its shape if the vehicle rolls over and maintains its connection with
other linked components.
Free from hazardous substances Materials or parts of the component do not contain toxic or hazardous substances.
Fewer materials Design of the component must reduce the number of different types of material used.
Environmentally safe The component is safe to use, generating fewer emissions both during preparation and
when in use.

Figure 4. Automotive anti-roll bar made from natural fiber polymer hybrid composite.

implemented in three phases: HoQ, material character-
istics deployment, and finally material selection matrix.
The sugar palm was selected as a priority source fol-
lowed by kenaf. The selected natural fibers will contin-
uously and consistently reduce the production costs
which results in a higher product sustainable rate sim-
ilar to the synthetic fibers used for the invention of
composite ARBs as shown in Figure 4. Moreover,
from the life cycle assessment results, the environmen-
tal impact of producing both sugar palm fiber and
kenaf fiber was highly ranked in the selection. As a
lighter fiber, sugar palm fiber has low energy consump-
tion and CO2 footprint. Therefore, it satisfies the
mechanical properties required by customers for the
material used in the automotive ARB and it has a
low impact on the environment. Also, it is said that
8 Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 0(0)
further investigation is needed in order to evaluate the
performance of the overall properties of the hybrid
biocomposite ARB based on the selected natural
fiber. The proposed approach has demonstrated similar
results as the life cycle assessment with regard to eco-
friendly condition. Thus, the systematic approach in
QFDE is acceptable for material selection considering
the environmental aspect, which is different from the
traditional QFD found in many practices.
Low-velocity impact response of hybrid carbon/glass
fiber-reinforced polymer composites for automotive
application
Pui-Yan et al. discovered the impact response of hybrid
carbon/glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites
designed for automotive applications44 as shown in
Figure 5(a) and (b). It was found that a hybrid com-
posite with surface carbon fiber layers would help min-
imize the risk of damage, in terms of the size of damage
and deflection subject to an impact load. Dong and
Davies45 have studied the flexural strength of glass/
carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A visible
tensile failure at the bottom surface was observed when
the compression side was entirely crushed, due to a
localized compressive load applied in the three-point
bend test. In the experiment, carbon is used as both
top and bottom layers for composites and that would
Figure 5. (a) Schematic representation of epoxy/carbon/glass
fiber reinforced hybrid composites used in automobile applica-
tions. (b) Automobile components made from epoxy/carbon/
glass fiber hybrid composites replacing metals.
further help to reduce the damage occurs, as the flex-
ural strength is controlled by the strength of the bottom
layer but large deflection may generate a failure, which
substantially induces inherent delamination for auto-
motive and aircraft engineering applications, in which
they are susceptible to a foreign object impact, impact-
induced damages are hard to be noted on the surface of
vehicles. Most of the impact damage happens on the
bottom of structures or an area between the plies that
would end up in delamination. In this case, thermo-
graphical image, a kind of nondestructive evaluation
techniques can be effectively used to identify any
hidden damage that cannot be seen from both sides
of the structure.46–48
Perspectives
The purpose of the hybridization technique is to
improve the properties of the material by including
two or more fibers in the matrix. Failures usually
happen because of low strength and load bearing abil-
ity of a material. To improve various properties such as
thermal, electrical, mechanical, and structural proper-
ties of the material, more than one fiber is included in
the matrix. The involvement of various types of fiber in
the matrix is to overcome the difficulty by its varying
Table 6. Recent application hybrid composites used in models
and parts of cars across various automobile manufacturers.
Automotive
manufacturer Model/parts
AUDI A3, A4, A4 Avant, A6, A8, Roadster,
Coupe Seat backs, side and back door
panels, boot lining, hat rack, spare
tire lining
BMW 3, 5, 7 series and others door panels,
headliner panel, boot lining, seat backs
FIAT Punto, Brava, Marea, Alfa Romeo 146, 156
FORD Mondeo CD 162, Focus door panels,
B-pillar, boot liner
RENAULT Clio
DAIMLER/ A, C, E, S series
CHRYSLER Door panel, windshield dashboard,
business table, pillar cover panel
OPEL Astra, Vectra, Zafira
Headliner panel, pillar cover panel, door
panel, instrument panel
PEUGEOT New Model 406
ROVER Rover 2000 and others
Insulation, rear storage shelf/panel
SAAB Door panels
SEAT Door panel, seat back
VOLKSWAGEN Golf A4, Passat Variant, Bora
Door panel, seat back, boot lid finish panel,
boot liner
Ravishankar et al.
nature by giving a consistent performance and also it
helps in improving the lifetime of the material.
Therefore, hybrid composites can be replaced with
composite materials of less consistency and can be uti-
lized effectively with prolonged lifetime.
Hybrid composites in various parts and
models of top automobiles
Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites are used
widely in different models and parts of cars as shown in
Table 6. In coming years, hybrid composites will be
playing a major role in automobile sectors on account
of their attractive physical and mechanical properties
and strength to weight ratio consideration. Majority of
the automobile parts can be replaced by hybrid com-
posite materials to enhance their structure effectively
and to perform better. Effective weight reduction of
the existing metal/steel components in an automobile
without compromising its strength will ultimately
reduce the fuel consumption which helps in pollution
control. Therefore, the production of hybrid composite
materials and various processing materials will be
reaching new heights in the future.
Summary
In recent years, hybrid composites are booming as an
alternate material for conventional composites across
the global market. This article focused on the hybrid
composites that are being used especially in an auto-
mobile application. The wide range of properties that
are achieved with different material combinations has
been reviewed and discussed in this article. Researchers
have used various reinforcements from natural (bio-
fiber, biobased, micro, and nano-cellulose, clay) and
synthetic (glass, carbon, aramid, kevlar) sources to
manufacture the hybrid composites. The combined
form of glass and natural fibers were incorporated
into the epoxy resin to develop the hybrid composites.
Even more, the combination of coconut coir/glass fiber
hybrid composite has shown good potential in the out-
door structure of automotive. Similarly, the carbon and
glass fiber thermoset hybrid composites have been fab-
ricated, which showed high strength.
Hybridization of Cu/SiC-based hybrid composite
material with MWCNT at a varying volume percentage
has shown an improved tribological property com-
pared to the existing brake friction material. Selection
of natural fiber as bioreinforcing material for develop-
ing automobile ARB by the AHP and QFDE technique
has been reviewed and discussed as this technique is
used to select the suitable natural reinforcement for
developing ARB to replace the existing metal compo-
nent that affects the environment on manufacturing.
9
The thermographic imaging technique was suggested
as an effective technique to analyze the low impact
response of hybrid composites designed for the auto-
motive applications.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with
respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and/or publication of this article.
ORCID iD
M Abdul Kader https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-6657
References
1. Gupta MK and Srivatsa RK. Mechanical properties of
hybrid fibers reinforced polymer composite: a review.
Polym Plast Technol Eng 2016; 55: 626–642.
2. Grand View Research. Automotive polymer composites
market size report by resin (epoxy, polyurethane, poly-
amide, polypropylene, polyethylene), by application, by
product, by end use, by manufacturing, and segment
forecasts, 2018–2025, https://www.grandviewresearch.
com/industry-analysis/automotive-polymer composites
market (2018, accessed 10 November 2018).
3. Ji-Hyun H, et al. Experimental study on the mechanical
properties of FRP bars by hybridizing with steel wires.
Wires Compos Eng 2014; 6: 1–9.
4. Duc F, Bourbon PE, Plummer CJG, et al. Damping of
thermoset and thermoplastic flax fiber composites.
Compos A 2014; 64: 115–123.
5. Banerjee S and Sankar BV. Mechanical properties of
hybrid composites using finite element method based
micro-mechanics. Compos B 2014; 58: 318–327.
6. Ramnath BV, Manickavasagam BM and Elanchezhian
C. Determination of mechanical properties of intra-
layer abaca–jute–glass fibre reinforced composite.
Mater Design 2014; 60: 643–652.
7. Al-Maadeed MA and Labidi S. Recycled polymers in
natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites in Natural
Fibre Composites Materials, Processes and Applications
2014; 103–114.
8. Dai D and Fan M. Wood fibers as reinforcements in
natural fiber composites structure. Propert Process Appl
2014; pp.3–65.
9. Yan L, Chouw N and Jayaraman L. Flax fibre and its
composites – a review. Compos B 2014; 56: 296–317.
10. Khanam PN, Khalil HPSA, Reddy GR, et al. Tensile
flexural and chemical resistance properties of sisal fiber
reinforced polymer composites: effect of fibre surface
treatment. J Polym Environ 2011; 19: 115–119.
11. Karikalan L, Chandrasekaran M, Ramasubramanian S,
et al. Hybridization of composites using natural and
10
synthetic fibres for automotive application. IJSRST
2017; 3: 916–920.
12. Venkateshwaran N, Elayaperumal A and Sathiya GK.
Prediction of tensile properties of hybrid-natural fibre.
Compos Compos 2012; 43: 793–796.
13. Venkateshwaran N, ElayaPerumal A, Alavudeen A, et al.
Mechanical and water absorption behavior of banana/-
sisal reinforced hybrid composites. Mater Design 2011;
32: 4017–4021.
14. Alavudeen A, Rajini N, Karthikeyan S, et al.
Mechanical properties of banana/kenaf fiber-
reinforced hybrid polyester composites: effect of woven
fabric and random orientation. Mater Design 2015;
66: 246–257.
15. Nunna S, Ravi Chandra P, Shrivastava S, et al. A review
on the mechanical behavior of natural fiber based hybrid
composites. J Reinf Plast Compos 2011; 31: 759–769.
16. Donald AO, Hassan MA, Hamza S, et.al. Development
and characterization of aluminum matrix composites
reinforced with carbonized coconut shell and silicon car-
bide particle for automobile piston application. Global
Sci J 2018; 6: 390–398.
17. Bharath V, Made Nagaral Auradi V, et al. Preparations
of 6061 Al-Al2O3 MMC by stir casting and evaluation of
mechanical and wear properties. Proc Mater Sci 2014;
6: 1658–1667.
18. Bello SA, Agunsoye JO, Adebisi JA, et al. Physical prop-
erties of coconut shell nanoparticles. J Sci Eng Technol
2016; 12: 63–79.
19. Madakson PB, Yawas DS and Apasi A. Characterization
of coconut shell ash for potential utilization in metal
matrix composite for automotive applications. Int J
Eng Sci Technol 2012; 4: 1190–1198.
20. Baskaran G, Daniel Lawrence I and Ramesh Kanman
Stalin B. Characterization of aluminium based metal
matrix composite reinforced with TiC and TiO2. Int J
Appl Eng Res 2015; 10: 682–687.
21. Dora SP, Chintada S and Nallu R. Investigations on
mechanical properties of aluminum hybrid composites.
J Mater Res Technol 2014; 3: 79–85.
22. Aku SY, Yawas DS and Apasi A. Evaluation of cast Al-
Si-Fe alloy coconut shell ash particle composites. Gazi
Univ J Sci 2013; 26: 449–457.
23. Sheikh JN, Chandan KS and Haque MN. Mechanical
properties and wear strength of piston alloy-alumina
composites. Int J Innov Sci Modern Eng 2015; 3: 75–79.
24. Lokesh SS, Radha A and Chandran M. Design, analysis,
fabrication and testing the mechanical properties of the
piston using aluminum metal matrix composite. Int J App
Res 2015; 10: 740–743.
25. Manikandan A, Gokulkumar C and Parthipan N. Effect
of hardness and tensile properties of Al6061 based com-
posites for piston alloy using stir casting method. J Chem
Pharma Sci 2017; 3: 23–27.
26. Raja P and Ramkumar P. Tribological effects of multiwall
carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on Cu based hybrid compos-
ite brake friction material for medium duty automotive
applications in: International Conference on Advances in
Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 0(0)
Design, Materials and Surface Engineering for Mobility,
SAE Technical Paper, 2018, India 19–21 July 2018.
27. Singh T, Patnaik A, Gangil B, et al. Optimization of
tribo-performance of brake friction materials: effect of
nano filler. Wear 2015; 324–325 pp.10–16.
28. Gewfiel E, Meniawi MAHEL and Fouad Y. The effects
of graphite and SiC formation on mechanical and wear
properties of aluminum-graphite (Al/Gr) composites. In:
International conference on engineering and technology
(ICET), Cairo, Egypt, 10–11 October 2012, paper no.
13270580, pp. 1–6. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE.
29. Mastura MT, Sapuan SM, Mansor MR, et al.
Environmentally conscious hybrid bio-composite materi-
al selection for automotive anti-roll bar. Int J Adv Manuf
Technol 2016; 89: 2203–2219.
30. Wu Y, Luo B and Li M. Quality function deployment for
the environment in product eco-design. In: International
conference on energy and environmental technology,
Guilin, Guangxi, China, 16–18 October 2009; paper
no.11036291, pp. 476–479. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE.
31. Masui K, Sakao T and Inaba A. Quality function deploy-
ment for the environment: QFDE (1st report)—a meth-
odology in the early stage of DfE. In: Proceedings of the
second international symposium on environmentally con-
scious design and inverse manufacturing, Tokyo, Japan,
11–15 December 2001, paper no: 7204919, pp.852–857.
Piscataway, NJ: IEEE.
32. Marzbanrad J and Yadollahi A. Fatigue life of an anti-
roll bar of a passenger vehicle. World Acad Sci Eng
Technol 2012; 6: 407–413.
33. Shinde P and Patnaik MMM. Parametric optimization to
reduce stress concentration at corner bends of the solid
and hollow stabilizer bar. Int J Res Aeronaut Mech Eng
2013; 1: 1–15.
34. Bayrakceken H, Tasgetiren S and Aslantas K. Fracture
of an automobile anti-roll bar. Eng Fail Anal 2006;
13: 732–738.
35. Sharma K, Bora PM and Sharma PK. Hollow
cross-section vs. solid cross-section & increasing the
diameter of solid cross-section by using finite element
analysis of anti-roll bar. Int J Adv Res Sci Eng 2012;
1: 1–11.
36. Prawoto Y, Djuansjah JRP, Tawi KB, et al. Tailoring
microstructures: a technical note on an eco-friendly
approach to weight reduction through heat treatment.
Mater Des 2013; 50: 635–645.
37. Mayyas AT, Qattawi A, Mayyas AR, et al. Quantifiable
measures of sustainability: a case study of materials selec-
tion for eco-lightweight auto-bodies. J Clean Prod 2013;
40: 177–189.
38. Doody M. Design and development of a composite auto-
motive anti-roll bar, Dissertation, University of Windsor,
2013, p.103.
39. Kanna LS, Tare SV and Kalje AM. Feasibility of hollow
stability bar. IOSR J Mech Civ Eng 2014; 76–80.
40. Purohit M, Kadre S, Shingavi S, et al. Analysis of stabi-
lizer bar using a simplified approach. In: HTC conference,
Chinchwad, Pune, May 2011.
Ravishankar et al.
41. Scott MJ and Antonsson EK. Preliminary vehicle struc-
ture design application. In: 10th International conference
on design theory and methodology, September 1998, paper
no. DETC98.
42. Wittek AM, Richter HC and Lazarz B. Stabilizer bars: part
2. Calculations example. Transp Probl 2011; 6: 137–145.
43. Wittek AM, Richter HC and Lazarz B. Stabilizer bars:
part 1. Calculations and construction. Transp Probl 2010;
5: 135–143.
44. Pui-Yan H, Kin-Tak L, Lai-Kwan C, et al. Impact
response of hybrid carbon/glass fibre reinforced polymer
composites designed for engineering applications.
Compos B 2017; 133: 89–90.
45. Dong CS and Davies IJ. Flexural strength of bidirection-
al hybrid epoxy composites reinforced by E glass and
T700S carbon fibers. Compos B 2015; 72: 65–71.
11
46. Manikandan P and Chai GB. A similitude approach
towards the understanding of low-velocity impact char-
acteristics of bi-layered hybrid composite structures.
Compos Struct 2015; 131: 183–192.
47. Ma HL, Jia ZM, Lau KT, et al. Impact properties of
glass fiber/epoxy composites at the cryogenic environ-
ment. Compos B 2016; 92: 210–217.
48. Kakei A, Epaarachchi JA, Islam M, et al. Detection and
characterization of delamination damage propagation in
woven glass fibre reinforced polymer composite using
thermoelastic response mapping. Compos Struct 2016;
153: 442–450.