Improving the Mechanical Properties of Wind Turbine Blades Using Hybrid Composite Materials

Abstract

This study investigates the enhancement of mechanical properties of wind turbine blade materials using Kevlar 49 fiber–reinforced epoxy hybrid composites. Three samples were fabricated using a hand lay-up technique with various configurations: Sample 1 (Kevlar fibers and epoxy), Sample 2 (Kevlar fibers, epoxy, and iron powder), and Sample 3 (Kevlar fibers, epoxy, graphite, and iron powder). All samples were cut and machined in accordance with ASTM D3039 and ASTM G65. The three samples were then subjected to Wear, hardness, and tensile tests to verify their performance. The results showed that Sample 2 had the highest hardness (70 Vickers), indicating high resistance to deformation. Meanwhile, Sample 1 exhibited the lowest wear rate (< 3.093 × 10⁻⁸ g/cm³), indicating high wear resistance. During tensile testing, sample 1 achieved the highest strength in both 90° (139.42 MPa) and 45° (237.5 MPa) fiber directions, with corresponding maximum loads of 2.9 kN and 5.7% strain at failure in the 45° orientation. Adding iron and graphite powders had a minimal effect on mechanical performance. Overall, Sample 1 demonstrated the most balanced mechanical response, with comparable hardness, wear resistance, and tensile strength among the investigated materials.