Original article

Journal of Reinforced Plastics and

Composites
Hybrid composites for automotive 0(0) 1–11
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applications – A review Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/0731684419849708
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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 materials because of their high strength, light in
mechanical strength is one of the important parame- weight, good strength to weight ratio, corrosion resis-
ters. Industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, tance, high impact strength, design flexibility, part con-
and oil and gas extensively utilize composites and are solidation, dimensional stability, and nonconductive,
considered as major players in global market of com- nonmagnetic, radar-transparent, and low thermal con-
posite industry. Composites also find extensive utiliza- ductivity properties.1
tion in other industries including electrical and Polymer composites segment dominated the global
electronics. Composites market was valued at over composites having 95% volume share for total com-
USD 76 billion in 2016 and is expected to surge at a posite market in 2016. Polymer composites consisting
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.9% of organic/inorganic/metallic reinforcements show var-
between 2017 and 2025. The future market perfor- iable mechanical properties depending on the type of
mance is driven by more spending on aerospace, reinforcement and matrix material. Similarly, polymer
defense and construction sectors, rising demand for
wind power and concern on fuel consumption of auto- 1
School for Advanced Research in Polymers – ARSTPS, Central Institute
mobile & transportation coupled with environmental
of Plastics Engineering & Technology, Chennai, India
issues. There is an increase in demand for weight reduc- 2
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, Chennai, India
tion in automobile to enhance fuel efficiency and to
reduce hazardous emissions products. Composites can Corresponding author:
M Abdul Kader, School for Advanced Research in Polymers – ARSTPS,
offer lightweight benefits ranging from 15% to 40% Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, TVK Industrial
depending on the type of reinforcement used. Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032, India.
Moreover, composite materials are preferred in many 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. 3

in hybrid composites helps in further weight reduction The diversity of properties from possible
along with enhancement in performance. material combinations
By enhancing the end of life value of composites by
optimum recycling technique, the overall life cycle The diversity of properties obtained from the possible
assessment score gets improved. The end of life vehicle combinations of constituent material in a polymer
directive for cars stipulates mandatory use of recycling hybrid composite is too many for detailing. Literature
85% of vehicle components, although energy recovery data refers to the most common type of polymer matrix
is not considered as recycling. hybrid composites consisting of carbon/glass, carbon/
Growing demand for fuel economic vehicles and Kevlar, and carbon/ultra highmodulus polyethylene
increasing production of lightweight automobile com- (UHMPE) fiber-reinforced epoxy/vinyl ester/phenolic/
ponents are some of the factors that anticipate prompt- polyester hybrid composites. Other hybrid composite
ing manufacturers to opt for backward integration in systems include the reinforcement from carbon/
the chain value. As per the survey, the automobile nylon, aramid/UHMPE, and UHMPE/glass/bio fiber
manufacturers are expanding their production facilities (pineapple leaf, Cecil, bamboo threads)/glass.4,5
across the globe to focus and cater to the growing Sometimes, a “hybrid effect,” briefly defined as a pos-
market demand. 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
Types of hybrid composites
enhancement of the first failure strain of the low-
The demand for hybrid composites is largely weighed elongation fiber component of hybrid composite.
by the development of the automotive and transporta-
tion, aerospace and defense, marine, wind energy, and Properties of hybrid polymer composites
sporting goods end-use industries. Although the classi-
fication of hybrid composites is exhaustive, the method Among many matrix materials, polymers are found
of manufacturing the hybrid composite is considered as useful for preparing composites because of their versa-
the main criterion for classifying hybrid composite. tility. Both thermoset and thermoplastic polymers are
On considering the way constituent materials are mostly used. Table 1 shows the physicomechanical
arranged, the hybrid composites are classified properties of matrix materials. The mechanical proper-
as follows3: ties of natural/synthetic fiber-reinforced thermosets
composite increase because of the incorporation of syn-
1. Interply hybrids in which two (or more) layers do thetic fiber. Incorporation of glass fiber has shown
not interfere with hybrids that have the same great development in the mechanical properties of nat-
reinforcements. ural fiber embedded thermoset composites. The tensile,
2. Intraply hybrids, in which two (or more) fibers are flexural, and chemical resistance properties of sisal/
mixed in the same layers. carbon fiber-reinforced polyester hybrid composites
3. Intermingled hybrids where the constituent fibers are have been developed positively compared to both
mixed randomly as possible so that no concentra- sisal and carbon composites.
tions of either type are present in the material. Tables 2 and 3 show the variety of reinforcing fibrous
4. Selective hybrids where placements in which rein- materials derived from natural and synthetic sources
forcements are placed wherever additional strength and their characteristics properties, respectively.
is required, over the base reinforcing laminate layer A study on the mechanical properties of the glass/
5. Super hybrid composites which contain metal foils sisal/jute hybrid polyester composite noted that the
or metal composite plies stacked in a specified inclusion of glass fiber, jute, and sisal fiber-enhanced
orientation. the mechanical properties composite. It is observed

Table 1. Properties of thermoset polymer matrix material for hybrid composite.3

Glass transition
temperature Specific
S. no. Thermosets TS (MPa) TM (GPa) FS (MPa) FM (GPa) (Tg) ( C) gravity

1 Epoxies 55–130 2.7–4.1 110–150 3–4 170–300 1.2–1.3

2 Phenolic 50–60 4–7 80–135 2–4 175 1.2–1.3
3 Polyesters 34–105 2.1–3.5 70–110 2–4 130–160 1.1–1.4
4 Vinyl esters 73–81 3–3.5 130–140 3 – 1.1–1.3
TS: tensile strength; TM: tensile modulus; FS: flexural strength; FM: flexural modulus.
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 However, only a few studies are reported in the lit-
strength and glass/jute/sisal displayed maximum erature for hybrid composites with respect to the ther-
flexural load while glass/sisal showed the maximum moplastic matrix.
impact strength.10
The hybrid composites prepared from glass/abaca/
jute as reinforcements and epoxy as a matrix have Hybridization of composites for
shown the maximum value of tensile strength, tensile automotive applications
modulus, and flexural modulus when compared with
conventional composites. Hybridization of coconut coir with glass
From the aforementioned works, it is under- fiber composite
stood that
Karikalan et al. developed an idea of hybridizing the
• Natural fibers can be used in place of synthetic fiber polymer matrix composites with synthetic and natural
without compromising the mechanical properties. fibers.11 In their experiment, the laminate was fabricat-
• Hybrid composites made from thermoplastic matrix ed with the coconut coir and glass fiber to check their
has shown improved mechanical properties. dissimilar mechanical properties under various circum-
• Hybridization process can develop the mechanical stances. The merger of coconut coir with glass fiber in a
properties of single fiber-reinforced polymer compo- composite has enlarged growing claims of use of hybrid
sites and increase its versatility. Mechanical properties composite in many extents of engineering and technol-
of natural/synthetic fiber-included hybrid polymer ogy. The laminate was fabricated by hand layup tech-
composites are found to increase due to the inclusion nique and it was placed under the load for a week so
of either synthetic fiber or natural fiber having compa- that it can bond firmly with one another. The measured
rably high compatibility with the matrix. mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness
• Natural fibers have many advantages such as low and impact strength were evaluated on segments of the
cost, low density, eco-friendly, recyclable, and read- composite material made from natural fiber found
ily available in the market. useful for automotive and aerospace engineering
Ravishankar et al. 5

applications.The macroscopic analyses are conceded Therefore, the above comparison concluded that the
out to study the interfacial features of the lami- developed composites showed a significant improve-
nate.12–15 ment in mechanical and thermal properties.
Here, the tested specimens were prepared as per the
ASTM Standards. Finally, the author concluded that Development of Cu/SiC-based hybrid composite
the obtained tensile, impact, flexural, and hardness material for brake friction material
properties of the hybdrid composite is higher than the
wood properties and so it can be effectively used in Raja et al. carried out an investigation on the synergis-
developing furnitures, hulls, automobile, and aerospace tic effect of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) in a
components. 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
Hybridization of CCNSp and SiCp hybrid composite
matrix, silicon carbide as a reinforcing fiber, graphite as
for automobile piston application a solid lubricant, and barium sulfate as a filler com-
Donald et al. have developed a hybrid aluminum bined with varying volume percentage (0.0, 0.5, 1.0,
matrix composite for automobile piston application 1.5 and 2.0) of MWCNT by conventional powder met-
using locally available material.16 They selected Al allurgy technique.26 Later, the brake friction materials
6061 alloy as the matrix material while carbonized are characterized to analyze their mechanical proper-
coconut shell particles (CCNSp) and SiCp as reinforce- ties such as compression strength, density, and hard-
ment based on its availability, cost and its natural and ness. The tribological behaviors such as friction and
mechanical properties.17–19 wear were carried out using a pin on-disc test rig with
a linear variable differential transducer for wear rate
• Here the powder metallurgy technique is chosen by and strain gauge for friction measurement under the
the author as the best suitable method to develop dry condition for medium duty applications.
this composite. It has been observed that the coefficient of friction
• The mold is developed as per the ASTM standard response is stable for 0.5% MWCNT and it is also
for the compaction process, the powder is mixed well observed that further addition of MWCNT up to
and stuffed into a steel mold made of hard- 2.0% increases the coefficient of friction of the compo-
ness 65HRC. sites. This is because of the pro-abrasive nature of
• And then the green compacts of the powder blend MWCNT which is contributing to an increase in the
are prepared using a hydraulic press with a punch coefficient of friction, where it is compared as perfor-
and die assembly and then the measured powder is mance defining criterion and the sequence of friction
poured carefully into the die by one end closed tem- composites as shown in Figure 3.27,28 Moreover, micro-
porarily.20–25 structural analysis of the tested samples using scanning
• After compaction, the powder is sintered inside a electron microscopy also confirms that an increase in
muffle furnace to increase its bonding and mechan- MWCNT volume percentage changes wear mecha-
ical properties. nisms from adhesive wear to abrasive wear. Initially,
• After the sintering process, the material is removed wear loss has increased significantly with the addition
properly and it is machined as per the ASTM E228 of MWCNT, but further increase in MWCNT volume
standard for the coefficient of thermal expan- percentage has caused the wear loss to decrease.
sion (CTE). Although the sample with 0.5% MWCNT volume

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
Figure 2. Friction materials used in automobile brake system.
6 Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 0(0)

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
Figure 3. Comparison of PDC for coefficient of friction and could best meet the demands of environmentally con-
wear of FCs against composition.27 PDC: performance defining scious product design. However, the combination with
criterion; FC: friction composite. 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
percentage had high average hardness value, hardness
for each requirement, and definition of the relationship
test has shown some areas where the hardness is very
between the needs and engineering metrics is done in
low which might be the reason for wear loss in samples
House of Quality (HoQ).31 The relationship between
within the range of 1.0% and 1.5%. But, on further engineering measurements with material constraints is
inclusion of MWCNT, progress in hardness has been defined in material characteristics deployment, and this
noted, which results in lower wear rate amongst leads to the selection of natural fibers. Finally, the envi-
all samples. ronmental impact of the top rank in selection is done
The addition of MWCNT to Cu/SiC may improve using a sustainability tool in SolidWorks 2014
the load bearing properties of the material due to which Premium Software.
there is a decrease in wear loss. But still, a 2.0% Table 5 shows the requirements of automobile anti-
MWCNT sample has a wear rate higher compared to roll bar (ARB) collected and tabulated from various
Cu/SiC without MWCNT sample. Later, the post-test studies.32,33 In terms of the performance, the high
analysis carried out on Cu/SiC composite leads to the fatigue strength of the ARB is one among the design
following conclusions: requirements obtained from experts where if the ARB
goes through a multiple loading, it could cause crack
• By the addition of MWCNT in Cu/SiC hybrid brake initiation leading to design failure. Number of the cycle
composite material, a good improvement was before it fails must be high in order for the ARB to
observed from the tribological properties of the have a longer lifetime. Here, the ARB design requires
sample but its strength has decreased. impact and break resistance, especially in high-
• Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope vibration conditions. Many environmentally friendly
(FESEM) analysis revealed that abrasive wear and products have suggested that hybrid biocomposites
delamination mechanisms are predominantly could be a suitable replacement material for steel and
observed on the worn-out sample surfaces. also can be used in many applications in the automo-
tive industry, especially ARBs.
Based on the work carried out, finally, the author
Selection of hybrid biocomposite material for the concluded that the selection of natural fiber is to find
automotive anti-roll bar out the best natural fiber that can be hybridized with a
glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite for an auto-
Mastura et al. stated that designing automotive com- motive anti-roll bar. The selection was done using a
ponents in substitution of metal along with natural combination of AHP with QFDE based on the custom-
fiber as the base material is found to cause high- er and environmental constraints. Optimizing the VOC
energy consumption in producing metal components and VOE has been carried out using AHP with the
that affect the environment.29 Therefore, the authors constant analysis in order to determine the degree of
focused on natural fiber selection for designing auto- consistency of the judgment and improve the confi-
mobile anti-roll bar based on both customer require- dence level based on the three different simulated sce-
ments and the environment. This study was performed 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- from the life cycle assessment results, the environmen-
istics deployment, and finally material selection matrix. tal impact of producing both sugar palm fiber and
The sugar palm was selected as a priority source fol- kenaf fiber was highly ranked in the selection. As a
lowed by kenaf. The selected natural fibers will contin- lighter fiber, sugar palm fiber has low energy consump-
uously and consistently reduce the production costs tion and CO2 footprint. Therefore, it satisfies the
which results in a higher product sustainable rate sim- mechanical properties required by customers for the
ilar to the synthetic fibers used for the invention of material used in the automotive ARB and it has a
composite ARBs as shown in Figure 4. Moreover, 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 further help to reduce the damage occurs, as the flex-
performance of the overall properties of the hybrid ural strength is controlled by the strength of the bottom
biocomposite ARB based on the selected natural layer but large deflection may generate a failure, which
fiber. The proposed approach has demonstrated similar substantially induces inherent delamination for auto-
results as the life cycle assessment with regard to eco- motive and aircraft engineering applications, in which
friendly condition. Thus, the systematic approach in they are susceptible to a foreign object impact, impact-
QFDE is acceptable for material selection considering induced damages are hard to be noted on the surface of
the environmental aspect, which is different from the vehicles. Most of the impact damage happens on the
traditional QFD found in many practices. bottom of structures or an area between the plies that
would end up in delamination. In this case, thermo-
Low-velocity impact response of hybrid carbon/glass graphical image, a kind of nondestructive evaluation
fiber-reinforced polymer composites for automotive techniques can be effectively used to identify any
application hidden damage that cannot be seen from both sides
of the structure.46–48
Pui-Yan et al. discovered the impact response of hybrid
carbon/glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites
designed for automotive applications44 as shown in Perspectives
Figure 5(a) and (b). It was found that a hybrid com- The purpose of the hybridization technique is to
posite with surface carbon fiber layers would help min- improve the properties of the material by including
imize the risk of damage, in terms of the size of damage two or more fibers in the matrix. Failures usually
and deflection subject to an impact load. Dong and happen because of low strength and load bearing abil-
Davies45 have studied the flexural strength of glass/ ity of a material. To improve various properties such as
carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A visible thermal, electrical, mechanical, and structural proper-
tensile failure at the bottom surface was observed when ties of the material, more than one fiber is included in
the compression side was entirely crushed, due to a the matrix. The involvement of various types of fiber in
localized compressive load applied in the three-point the matrix is to overcome the difficulty by its varying
bend test. In the experiment, carbon is used as both
top and bottom layers for composites and that would 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
Figure 5. (a) Schematic representation of epoxy/carbon/glass VOLKSWAGEN Golf A4, Passat Variant, Bora
fiber reinforced hybrid composites used in automobile applica- Door panel, seat back, boot lid finish panel,
tions. (b) Automobile components made from epoxy/carbon/ boot liner
glass fiber hybrid composites replacing metals.
Ravishankar et al. 9

nature by giving a consistent performance and also it The thermographic imaging technique was suggested
helps in improving the lifetime of the material. as an effective technique to analyze the low impact
Therefore, hybrid composites can be replaced with response of hybrid composites designed for the auto-
composite materials of less consistency and can be uti- motive applications.
lized effectively with prolonged lifetime.
Declaration of conflicting interests
Hybrid composites in various parts and The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with
models of top automobiles respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.
Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites are used
widely in different models and parts of cars as shown in Funding
Table 6. In coming years, hybrid composites will be
playing a major role in automobile sectors on account The author(s) received no financial support for the research,
of their attractive physical and mechanical properties authorship, and/or publication of this article.
and strength to weight ratio consideration. Majority of
the automobile parts can be replaced by hybrid com- ORCID iD
posite materials to enhance their structure effectively M Abdul Kader https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-6657
and to perform better. Effective weight reduction of
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