Lecture Handout

COMPOSITE MATERIALS
Academic Year 2013/14

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III

Table of Content
1

Introduction ..............................................................................................1
1.1

Definition of a Composite .....................................................................1

Constituent Parts of a Composite Material ..............................................4

2.1

Fibers ...................................................................................................4

2.1.1

Fiber Types ......................................................................................4

2.1.2

Fiber Properties................................................................................6

2.2

Matrix Materials ....................................................................................8

2.3

Composite Forms ............................................................................... 10

2.3.1

Unidirectional Lamina .................................................................... 10

2.3.2

Woven Fabrics ............................................................................... 11

2.3.3

Laminates....................................................................................... 11

2.3.4

Hybrid Composites ........................................................................ 12

2.3.5

Chopped Fiber ............................................................................... 13

2.4

Composites Properties....................................................................... 13

2.5

Advantages of Composites ................................................................ 15

2.5.1

Specific Stiffness and Specific Strength ........................................ 15

2.5.2

Tailored Design .............................................................................. 15

2.5.3

Fatigue Life .................................................................................... 15

2.5.4

Dimensional Stability ...................................................................... 16

2.5.5

Corrosion Resistance ..................................................................... 16

2.5.6

Cost-Effective Fabrication ............................................................. 17

2.5.7

Conductivity ................................................................................... 17

2.5.8

Overall Cost Considerations .......................................................... 18

2.6

Applications........................................................................................ 18

2.6.1

Aerospace ...................................................................................... 18

2.6.2

Composite Railway Carrier ............................................................ 19

2.6.3

Athletic and Recreational Equipment ............................................. 21

2.6.4

Automotive ..................................................................................... 21

2.6.5

Infrastructure Structures ................................................................ 22

2.6.6

Industrial ........................................................................................ 23

2.6.7

Medical .......................................................................................... 23

2.6.8

Electronic ....................................................................................... 23

IV
2.6.9
2.7

Military............................................................................................ 23
Fabrication Methods .......................................................................... 23

2.7.1

Autoclave Curing ............................................................................ 23

2.7.2

Filament Winding ........................................................................... 24

2.7.3

Pultrusion ....................................................................................... 24

2.7.4

Braiding .......................................................................................... 24

2.7.5

Resin Transfer Molding .................................................................. 26

2.7.6

Metal Matrix Composites ............................................................... 26

Micromechanical Behavior of a UD Lamina ........................................... 27

3.1

Introduction ........................................................................................ 27

3.2

Mechanics of material approach to stiffness ..................................... 33

3.2.1

Determination of E1 ........................................................................ 34

3.2.2

Determination of E2 ........................................................................ 36

3.2.3

Determination of 12 ....................................................................... 39

3.2.4

Determination of G12....................................................................... 40

3.2.5

Summary Remarks......................................................................... 42

Plane Stress Constitutive Equations ...................................................... 43

4.1

Plane Stress Stiffness and Compliance ............................................. 43

4.1.1

Reduced Stiffness Matrix ............................................................... 44

4.1.2

Reduced Stiffness and Compliance for Orthotropic Material ........ 45

4.1.3

Compliance and Stiffness in Terms of Engineering Constants ...... 46

4.2

Constitutive Equations in Material Coordinates ................................. 47

4.3

2-D Transformations about an Axis .................................................... 47

4.3.1

Lamina Stress-Strain Relations in Global Coordinates .................. 49

4.4

Stiffness and Compliance Dependence on fibre orientation .............. 52

4.5

Lamina Engineering Constants .......................................................... 55

4.5.1

Axial Modulus................................................................................. 55

4.5.2

Poissons Ratio .............................................................................. 56

4.5.3

Transverse Modulus ....................................................................... 58

4.5.4

Shear Modulus ............................................................................... 58

4.5.5

Coefficients of Mutual Influence..................................................... 60

4.5.6

Additional Lamina Engineering Constants ..................................... 61

4.5.7

Comparison of Theory and Experiment ......................................... 63

4.6
4.6.1

Measurement of Material Engineering Constants .............................. 65

Axial and Shear Moduli .................................................................. 67

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4.7

Thermal Effects .................................................................................. 68

4.7.1

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion .................................................. 68

4.7.2

Thermo-Elastic Constitutive Equation ............................................ 70

4.8

Moisture Effects ................................................................................. 73

4.8.1

Hygroscopic Expansion ................................................................. 73

4.8.2

Hygrothermal Constitutive Equations ............................................ 73

4.9
5

Summary ............................................................................................ 74
Macromechanical Behavior of a Laminate ............................................. 75

5.1

Introduction ........................................................................................ 75

5.2

Classical Lamination Theory .............................................................. 78

5.2.1

Lamina Stress-Strain Behavior ...................................................... 79

5.2.2

Strain and Stress Variation in a Laminate ...................................... 79

5.2.3

Resultant Laminate Forces and Moments ..................................... 83

5.2.4

Summary ........................................................................................ 87

Manufacturing ........................................................................................ 92

Bibliography ......................................................................................... 103

VI

1 Introduction

1.1 Definition of a Composite

2 Constituent Parts of a Composite Material

2.1 Fibers
2.1.1 Fiber Types

2.1.2 Fiber Properties

2.2 Matrix Materials

10

2.3 Composite Forms

2.3.1 Unidirectional Lamina

11

2.3.2 Woven Fabrics

2.3.3 Laminates

12

2.3.4 Hybrid Composites

13

2.3.5 Chopped Fiber

2.4 Composites Properties

14

15

2.5 Advantages of Composites

2.5.1 Specific Stiffness and Specific Strength

2.5.2 Tailored Design

2.5.3 Fatigue Life

16

2.5.4 Dimensional Stability

2.5.5 Corrosion Resistance

17

2.5.6 Cost-Effective Fabrication

2.5.7 Conductivity

18

2.5.8 Overall Cost Considerations

2.6 Applications

2.6.1 Aerospace

19

2.6.2 Composite Railway Carrier

20

21

2.6.3 Athletic and Recreational Equipment

2.6.4 Automotive

22

2.6.5 Infrastructure Structures

23

2.6.6 Industrial

2.6.7 Medical

2.6.8 Electronic

2.6.9 Military

2.7 Fabrication Methods

2.7.1 Autoclave Curing

24

2.7.2 Filament Winding

2.7.3 Pultrusion

2.7.4 Braiding

25

26

2.7.5 Resin Transfer Molding

2.7.6 Metal Matrix Composites

27

3 Micromechanical Behavior of a UD Lamina

3.1 Introduction

28

29

30

31

32

33

3.2 Mechanics of material approach to stiffness

34

3.2.1 Determination of E1

35

36

3.2.2 Determination of E2

37

38

39

3.2.3 Determination of 12

40

3.2.4 Determination of G12

41

42

3.2.5 Summary Remarks

43

4 Plane Stress Constitutive Equations

4.1 Plane Stress Stiffness and Compliance

44

4.1.1 Reduced Stiffness Matrix

45

4.1.2 Reduced Stiffness and Compliance for Orthotropic Material

46

4.1.3 Compliance and Stiffness in Terms of Engineering Constants

47

4.2 Constitutive Equations in Material Coordinates

4.3 2-D Transformations about an Axis

48

49

4.3.1 Lamina Stress-Strain Relations in Global Coordinates

50

51

52

4.4 Stiffness and Compliance Dependence on fibre orientation

53

54

55

4.5 Lamina Engineering Constants

4.5.1 Axial Modulus

56

4.5.2 Poissons Ratio

57

58

4.5.3 Transverse Modulus

4.5.4 Shear Modulus

59

60

4.5.5 Coefficients of Mutual Influence

61

4.5.6 Additional Lamina Engineering Constants

62

63

4.5.7 Comparison of Theory and Experiment

64

65

4.6 Measurement of Material Engineering Constants

66

67

4.6.1 Axial and Shear Moduli

68

4.7 Thermal Effects

4.7.1 Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

69

70

4.7.2 Thermo-Elastic Constitutive Equation

71

72

73

4.8 Moisture Effects

4.8.1 Hygroscopic Expansion

4.8.2 Hygrothermal Constitutive Equations

74

4.9 Summary

75

5 Macromechanical Behavior of a Laminate

5.1 Introduction

76

77

78

5.2 Classical Lamination Theory

79

5.2.1 Lamina Stress-Strain Behavior

5.2.2 Strain and Stress Variation in a Laminate

80

81

82

83

5.2.3 Resultant Laminate Forces and Moments

84

85

86

87

5.2.4 Summary

88

89

90

91

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6 Manufacturing
The following pages are taken from a handbook on composite materials published by
R&G Faserverbundwerkstoffe GmbH [3] and describe some important aspects of the
structure and use of composite materials.

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7 Bibliography
[1]

C. T. Herakovich, Mechanics of fibrous composites, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,

New York, USA, 1998

[2]

R. M. Jones, Mechanics of composite materials, Scripta Book Company,

Washington D.C., USA, 1975

[3]

R&G Faserverbundwerkstoffe GmbH, Composite Materials Handbook Edition

06/2009, Germany, 2009