A composite material can be defined as a combination of two or more materials that results in

better properties than those of the individual components used alone. In contrast to metallic
alloys, each material retains its separate chemical, physical, and mechanical properties.
The important constitutes of composite materials are matrix, reinforcement and interface. The
matrix can be polymer, ceramic and metal. The reinforcement can be used in the form of
particulate and fibre or whiskers. The reinforcement is selected based on its inherent properties
like corrosion resistance, oxidation, hardness, stiffness etc., while matrix acts as binding element.
These composite materials can be processed in order to have a new material that has useful
properties not prepossessed by the individual component
Figure depicts schematic diagram of composites material system having two constituents namely
reinforcement (discontinuous) and a matrix (continuous phase) together with an interfacial
bonding; which holds both of them.

MATRIX
The continuous phase is the matrix, which is a polymer, metal, or ceramic. Polymers have low
strength and stiffness, metals have intermediate strength and stiffness but high ductility, and
ceramics have high strength and stiffness but are brittle. The matrix (continuous phase) performs
Several critical functions, including maintaining the fibres in the proper orientation and spacing
and protecting them from abrasion and the environment. In polymer and metal matrix composites

that form a strong bond between the fibre and the matrix, the matrix transmits loads from the
matrix to the fibres through shear loading at the interface. In ceramic matrix composites, the
objective is often to increase the toughness rather than the strength and stiffness; therefore, a low
interfacial strength bond is desirable. The matrix material performs the role of holding together
and protecting the reinforcement and helps in effectively transferring the load to the
reinforcement. The choice of the matrix depends on the factors such as wettability, reactivity,
application and also processing technique employed to fabricate the composites. To achieve the
maximum advantages of the reinforcement in terms of the properties ; the matrix generally
should have light weight.
As mentioned earlier in the matrix (continuous phase) performs several critical functions,
including maintaining the reinforcement in the proper orientation, spacing and protecting them
from abrasion and the environment side effect. In polymer and metal matrix composites a strong
bond between the reinforcement and matrix is formed. The matrix transmits load to the
reinforcement through shear loading at the interface. In ceramic matrix composites, the
objectives are often to increase the toughness rather than the strength and stiffness; therefore, a
low interfacial strength bond is tolerable. The continuous phase is the matrix, which may be a
polymer, metal or ceramic. Polymer has low strength and stiffness; metals have intermediate
strength and stiffness with a reasonable ductility, while ceramics have high strength and stiffness
but are brittle.

REINFORCEMENT
The reinforcement phase provides the enhanced properties such as strength and stiffness. In
most case, the reinforcement is harder, stronger, and stiffer than the matrix. The reinforcement is
usually a fibre or a particulate. Particulate composites have dimensions that are approximately
equal in all directions. The reinforcement particle may be spherical, platelets, or any other
regular or irregular geometry.
FIBRE
A fibre has a length that is much greater than its diameter. The length-to-diameter (l/d) ratio is
known as the aspect ratio and can vary greatly. Continuous fibres have long aspect ratios, while
discontinuous fibres have short aspect ratios. Continuous-fibre composites normally have a
preferred orientation, while discontinuous fibres generally have a random orientation. Examples

of continuous reinforcements include unidirectional, woven cloth, and helical winding, while
examples of discontinuous reinforcements are chopped fibres and random mat. Continuous-fibre
composites are often made into laminates by stacking single sheets of continuous fibres in
different orientations to obtain the desired strength and stiffness properties with fibre volumes as
high as 60 to 70 percent. Fibres produce high-strength composites because of their small
diameter; they contain far fewer defects (normally surface defects) compared to the material
produced in bulk. As a general rule, the smaller the diameter of the fibre, the higher its strength,
but often the cost increases as the diameter becomes smaller. In addition, smaller-diameter highstrength fibres have greater flexibility and are more amenable to fabrication processes such as
weaving or forming over radii. Typical fibres include glass, aramid, and carbon, which may be
continuous or discontinuous.

Typical mechanical properties of selected fibres

Fibre Material

Density

Tensile

Tensile

Diameter

kg/m3

strength MPa

modulus

GPa
Glass

2550

3450-5000

69-84

7-14

Boron

2200-2700

2750-3600

400

50-200

Carbon

1500-2000

2000-5600

180-500

6-8

Kevlar

1390

2750-3000

80-130

10-12

Polyethylene

970

2590

117

38

Silica (SiO2)

2200

5800

72

35

Boron carbide (B4C)

2350

2690

425

102

Boron nitride

1910

1380

90

6.9

Silicon carbide (SiC)

2800

4500

480

10-12

TiB2

4480

105

510

TiC

4900

1540

450

Zirconium oxide

4840

2070

345

Borsic(SiC/B/W)

2770

2930

470

107-145

Alumina(Al2O3)

3150

2070

210

17

Alumina FP

3710

1380

345

15-25

Steel

7800

4140

210

127

Tungsten

19300

3170

390

361

Beryllium

1830

1300

240

127

Molybdenum

1020

660

320

127

Quartz whisker

2200

4135

76

Fe whisker

7800

13,800

310

127

SiC whisker

3200

21,000

840

0.5-10

Al2O3 whisker

4000

20,700

427

0.5-10

BeO whisker

2851

13,100

345

10-30

B4C whisker

2519

13,790

483

Si3N4 whisker

3183

13,790

379

1-10

PARTICULATED
Particulate composites have dimensions that are approximately equal in all directions.
They may be spherical, platelets, or any other regular or irregular geometry. Particulate
composites tend to be much weaker and less stiff than continuous fibre composites, but they are
usually much less expensive. Particulate reinforced composites usually contain less
reinforcement (up to 40 to 50 volume percent) due to processing difficulties and brittleness.

Matrix and dispersoids combinations used to make cast particulate composite

Matrix and dispersoids

Size (m)

Amount (Vol. %)

Graphite flakes

20-60

0.9-0.815

Graphite granules

15-100

1.8-50

carbon microballons

125

15

Shell char

3-200

3-30

Al2O3 particles

3-6 mm long, 15 dia

0-23

Al2O3 fibres

16-120

3-20-30

SiC particles

5-10

10, 0-0.5

SiC whiskers

40-180

10-5

Mica particles

5-33

SiO2 partiles

40

0-30

Zircon particles

100-150

Glass Particles

100

30

Glass beads(spherical)

40

10

MgO particles

75-120

36

Sand particles

46

15

TiC particles

46

Boron nitride particles

40

10

Si3N4 particles

75-120

36

Chilled iron

5-80

ZrO2 particles

5-80

TiO2particles

10

Lead particles

5-200

5-20

Fly ash particles

-`

combination
Al alloy matrix

Copper alloy matrix

TiO2particles

11

10

CeO2particles

Graphite particles

5-100

2-12

TiO2particles

10

CeO2particles

10

10

Illite clay

733

Graphite microballons

TiC (In - situ)

10-100

30

Ferrous alloy matrix

INTERFACE
The interface is the bounding surface or zone where discontinuity occurs, whether, physical
mechanical, chemical etc. It has characteristics that are not depiceted by either of the components
in isolation. To obtain desirable properties in composite, the applied load should be effectively
transferred from the matrix to the fibres via the interface. This means that, the interface must be
large and exihit strong adhesion between fibres and matrix. To achieve this, matrix material must
wet the fibre. well wetted fibres increase surface area of the interface. coupling agents are
frequently used to improve wettability .
The characteristic of interface formed between the matrix and the reinforcement determine the
load transfer and a crack resistance of MMCs. The interaction may be in the form of mechanical
locking or chemical bounding between the matrix and the reinforcement. In order to maximise
bond strength in MMCs, it is necessary to promote wetting, control chemical reaction, and
minimise oxide formation. wetting in molten metal ceramics sample is promoted by decreasing
the contact angle through:

1. Increasing the surface energy of the liquid

2. Decreasing the solid-liquid interface energy and
3. Decreasing the surface tension of the liquid metal
In practice wetting can be achieved by
1. applying metallic coating on the ceramic particles
2. alloying the metallic matrix with reactive elements and
3. Heat treatment of the ceramic particles. Failure at the interface(called debonding) may or
may not be desirable

Applications of MMCs

Continuous fiber reinforced composites provide the greatest improvement in strength and
modulus. Of interest is the Boron fiber reinforced Al alloy wherein the size of the fiber is
about 5 to 50 m and the volume fraction is around 50%. In this composite, the strength
increased from 310 MPa to 1417 MPa, while the modulus increased from 69 to 231 GPa.
The structural members of mid fuselage frame of the Space shuttle have been made using
this composite by which a weight reduction of 145 Kg was achieved thus reducing the fuel
requirement for vertical takeoff by huge amount.

Continuous carbon fiber reinforced Al alloy 6061 likewise has been used in the Mast
structures (vertical support structures) in the Hubble Telescope.

SiC continuous fiber reinforced Al alloy has been used vertical section of advanced fighter
aircraft. SiC continuous fiber reinforced Ti alloy has been used for hypersonic aircraft

Precision components of missile guidance system demand very high dimensional stability
i.e. geometries should not change with temperature excursions during use. Al alloy with
20% SiC continuous fiber satisfy this requirement. These composites have high microyield strength. Micro-yield strength is a major design parameter required for dimensional
stability. It is defined as, stress required to create a plastic strain of 1 m per meter. In
addition, volume fraction of SiC can be varied to have coefficient of thermal expansion
compatible with other parts of the assembly.

Discontinuous fiber and particulate reinforced MMCs are low cost composites made by
Powder Metallurgy techniques having engineering advantage of higher strength, greater
stiffness and better dimensional stability than unreinforced metal alloys. Discontinuous
SiC fibers 1 to 3 m in diameter and 50 to 200 m long are mixed with Al powders
consolidated by hot pressing and then extruded or forged to the desired shape. With 20%
SiC whiskers, the tensile strength increased from 310 MPa TO 480 Mpa and the tensile
modulus can be increased from 69 to 115 GPa. Particulate MMCs similarly can be made
either by Squeeze Casting and Powder Metallurgy technique. Many of these composites
find applications in Automobile Pistons, sporting goods and missile guidance systems.

Hybrid composites of 12 % by volume fraction of Alumina particles (for high strength) and
9% volume fraction of graphite fibers (for self lubrication) in Al alloys have been
developed by Honda for Engine blocks, connecting rods, Piston rods etc for automobiles.
This composite has replaced Cast Iron and resulted in significant weight reduction and
improvement in power rating and enhanced life of the engines.

High temperature creep and stress rupture properties of Ni based and Co based super alloys
can be greatly increased by reinforcing the matrix by W fibers. These composites also
retain high temperature oxidation resistance and impact strength. Design incorporating
these composites permits higher operating temperature and better efficiencies for Turbine
Engines. These composites find applications in Gas Turbine Blades.

SiC coated on inter-metallic compound Ti3Al fibers in Ti alloy matrix have been found to
be very effective for high temperature resistance. These composites find applications in
compressor discs and blades in aero-engines.

Presence of extremely hard reinforcement particles or fibers can benefit wear resistance in
service and hence such composite find applications handling abrasive materials like coke,
minerals and fiberboards.

A relatively new technique called Rapid Solidification Rate processing has been developed
(the cooling rates are of the order of 10000 C per second) to obtain metallic glass ribbons
which can be effective reinforcing material in MMCs.

Need for developing MMCs

The engineering importance of metal-matrix composites can be related to two significant
advantages:

Properties: The use of metals as matrices imparts important properties to the resultant
composites. High matrix strength and elastic modulus impart high composite shear and
transverse strength and stiffness. As an example, a boron-fiber-reinforced aluminum
system exhibits transverse tensile strength equal to the unreinforced matrix and transverse
stiffness twice that of the matrix. Similarly, the matrix can impart significant toughness and
resistance to the operating environment resembling the characteristics of the parent metal.
Metal-like thermal and electrical properties also are of importance.

Processing: The ability to use traditional metal processing facilities to create at least
selected metal-matrix systems is important because it brings to bear a large existing
industrial capacity for component production.

On the other hand, there are also significant difficulties in the creation of metal-matrix
composites. The frequently high fabrication temperatures and reactivity of many alloy matrixfiber combinations can cause significant deterioration of properties. Similarly, the mismatch in
thermal expansion between fiber and matrix can ruin composite performance on thermal cycling.
Finally, the composites may differ in corrosion resistance from the parent matrix because of the
composite microstructure and the difference in fibermatrix electrochemical potential.
A convenient way to look at MMC systems is to consider their cost for industrial and aerospace
applications,. Selective reinforcement, such as that used in Japanese automotive applications and
powder metallurgical processing, can yield low-cost products. The very high performance
requirements of aerospace applications have generally required the use of more costly continuous
fibers and slower, more expensive processes, such as diffusion bonding.
Low-Cost (Aluminum-Matrix) MMCs for Industrial Applications
Reinforcement

Application

Fabrication Process

Al2 O3/SiO2 (fibers)

Auto diesel engines

Squeeze casting

Carbon

Piston

ring

grove

reinforcement
Al2 O3/SiO2 (particulates)

Castings

(gear

boxes Direct chill casting

impellers, high pressure dies,

etc.)
SiC

(low Optical grade creep) Powder

(particulates)

components

Metallurgy

Some Higher-Cost MMC Aerospace Applications

Fiber/Matrix

Application

B/Al; B/Ti

Space Shuttle Orbiter fuselage: fighter aircraft engines

Carbon/ Al ; C / Mg

Antenna mast for Hubble telescope

Particulate SiC/Al

Various aerospace component parts

For aerospace-grade MMCs, the production applications, such as the Space Shuttle fuselage
struts or satellite members, have occurred within the U.S. aerospace industry. However, there are
large developmental efforts under way in the Soviet Union, Europe, and Japan. The Soviet Union
has significant efforts in at least two areas: boron-reinforced aluminum and silicon-carbidereinforced titanium. One significant foreign development activity is proceeding within a
European consortium of aerospace manufacturers who are developing titanium-matrix
composites based on the British Petroleum Sigma fiber (silicon-carbide). This effort appears to
be very appreciable in size, in terms of the capital and manpower resources being committed.
A second activity that is significant because of its organizational structure is Japan's metal-matrix
development. This is an integrated effort between government and industry to develop both a
commercial and a technical base. The first large-scale production application of MMCs was
made by the Japanese in the Toyota engine piston insert. Although it is not a high-performance
application, experience and confidence in production were gained.
The Japanese are committed to pursuing higher-performance MMCs as well. They have
established a government/industry team, that has specific goals for developing high-temperature
fibers and composites for hypersonic applications. They are also pursuing silicon-carbide-

reinforced titanium and titanium aluminides as well as yarn-reinforced, thin-gauge, aluminummatrix composites.
In summary, international investment in MMCs by both industry and government sponsorship
appears to be on the rise. In addition, much of the U.S. capability in this area has been purchased
by foreign companies. To date, these appear to have significantly enhanced the technology
through investment, and it is unfortunate that U.S. firms have not been able to make similar
commitments.
Future Potential of MMCs

The application needs for MMCs arise from their significant advantages over existing monolithic
metals and polymer-matrix systems. Aircraft that require a lightweight structure with high
stiffness or strength may have metal-matrix-composite control surfaces. For high-load
applications, steel parts may be replaced with titanium-matrix composites. Future engines are
probably the biggest potential application for MMCs. They require high stiffness and strength
and have many parts that operate at temperatures too high for resin-matrix composites. In
addition, engine parts are very sensitive to weight because of the rotating inertia, which justifies
higher costs for advanced materials. Turbine parts, which operate above 500G are currently
made of superalloys. Replacement of these parts by titanium-matrix composites at half the
density could reduce the weight of the engine dramatically and increase its performance.
An exciting future application of metal-matrix composites will be on air-breathing hypersonic
vehicles. The national goal of demonstrating a space-capable aircraft cannot be met with
traditional manufacturing processes, materials, and structural concepts. New lighter-weight
materials are needed, which can take the flight loads, acoustic noise, and searing temperatures
well beyond the performance of existing metals or polymer composites. This requirement, based
primarily on the mission of the National Aero Space Plane (NASP) and the above-described need
for gas turbine engines, has caused considerable interest in the development of intermetallicmatrix composites. These composites constitute a subset of the more traditional MMC systems in
that the matrices are ordered structures whose mechanical properties may include limited
ductility over certain temperature ranges. The advantages of these systems, however, relate to

their low density and high potential for use at elevated temperatures. Examples of current
systems under investigation are :

Matrix Alloy

Reinforcing Fiber

Maximum-Use
Temperature

Aluminum

300C

Titanium

SiC

500C

Ti-Aluminides

TiB2, Al2O3

> 800C

Critical Problems to be Solved for New Applications.

In addition to availability and resource problems, there are many technical challenges remaining
in the development of high-performance metal-matrix composites. Most of these involve the
reinforcing fiber.
Some of the problems encountered are caused by the reaction between the matrix (metal) and the
reinforcing fibers. Most MMC fabrication processes use high-temperature consolidation, which
causes the metal to flow around the fibers and bond by solid-state diffusion. The majority of
metals, however, are very aggressive at elevated temperatures and try to dissolve the fiber. This
problem has been solved, in most cases, by developing specialized coatings for the fibers. These
coatings, which are tailored for use in a specific metal matrix, are difficult and costly to develop
and produce. This makes experimentation with various combinations of fibers and matrices a
lengthy and expensive process. The problem is amplified because the basic understanding of the
chemical, mechanical, and thermodynamic relationships in the fiber-matrix interaction is not
well understood.
The recent requirements for high-temperature structures such as for the NASP, have caused
researchers to begin examining a whole new range of fiber and matrix combinations, such as
matrices of alpha-2 and gamma-based titanium alloys with fibers of titanium diboride or titanium
carbide. This has resulted in a whole new set of fiber-matrix compatibility studies and
development efforts that will require considerable time to carry out. While there are many

technical challenges to be overcome for MMC applications, the economic and managerial
challenges are also very significant. Some measure of the problem is provided by the following
comparison: sales of titanium-matrix composites in 1989 were only a few thousand pounds,
while nearly 50 million pounds of titanium and several billion pounds of aluminum were
produced. Therefore, a comprehensive plan to develop the basic science and production
capabilities must come from something other than natural market forces.

Metal-matrix

commercial industrial composites have the potential for large-scale applications that require a
low-cost reinforcement. Fibers compatible with low-cost metal-casting processes should be
developed.