Strength Weight

Stiffness Fatigue life

Corrosion resistance Temperature dependent behavior
Wear resistance Thermal insulation
Attractiveness Thermal conductivity
Acoustical insulation
History of usage of Composite Materials:
Straw used to strengthen mud bricks by Israelites
Plywood used for superior strength & resistance for thermal expansion by
Egyptians
Medieval swords & armors constructed with layers of different materials.
DEFINITION:
Characteristics of Composite materials are:
(i) Individual constituents making up a composite material are always different
chemically &
(ii) They are essentially insoluble in each other.

A composite material is a materials system composed of a mixture or

combination of two or more macro constituents differing in form and/or
material composition and that are essentially insoluble in each other.

face sheet
adhesive layer
honeycomb
 II LAMINATED III PARTICULATE
I FIBROUS COMPOSITES
COMPOSITES
COMPOSITES
a) Bimetals a) Non-metallic in non-metallic
a)Continous fibres composites
b) Clad metals
(aligned)
c) Laminated b) Metallic in metallic
b)Discontinous
glass composites
(short) or
whiskers. d) Plastic based
c) Metallic in non-metallic
laminates
composites
e) Laminates
fibrous d) Non-metallic in metallic
composites composites (or cermets)
Fibers and whiskers
BIMETALS

A > B
Stacking of successive oriented, fiber-reinforced layers for laminar
composite
Construction of sandwich panel
 Usually composite have 2 phases: Matrix
Phase (Continuous) & Dispersed Phase
(Particulates, Fibres)

Properties of composites depend upon

properties of phases, geometry of dispersed
phase (particle size, distribution,
orientation) and amount of phase.