Introduction to Composite

Materials

1
 COMPOSITE MATERIALS
ISSUES TO ADDRESS...
• What are the classes and types of composites?

• Why are composites used instead of metals,

ceramics, or polymers?

• How do we estimate composite stiffness & strength?

• What are some typical applications?

2 1
Composites
A judicious combination of two or more materials that
produces a synergistic effect.

Physically distinct and mechanically separable

materials

Produces aggregate properties that are different from

those of its constituents.

3
Composites

A composite material consists of two phases:

 Primary

• Forms the matrix within which the secondary phase is

imbedded
• Any of three basic material types: polymers, metals, or
ceramics
 Secondary
• Referred to as the imbedded phase or called the
reinforcing agent
• Serves to strengthen the composite. (fibers, particles, etc.)
• Can be one of the three basic materials or an element such
as carbon or boron

4
Why Composites?

5
Mechanical Properties

6
Advanced composites

 traditionally used in aerospace industries

 high performance reinforcements of a
thin diameter in a matrix material
 graphite/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy and
boron/aluminum composites

7
Why composites???

 Extreme temperature requirements (-150 to

100ºC) with less expansion co-eff (±1.5E-7
m/m/ºC)–satellite, space shuttles
 Light weight structures with improved
stiffness, strength, fatigue, corrosion
resistance, thermal conductivity.

8
Why composites???

 Mechanical advantage

 lightest beam for specified deflection under

a specified load is one with the highest
(E/ρ)

9
Why composites???

 Mechanical advantage

10
Why composites???

11
Why composites???

12
Why composites???

13
Composites-Limitations

 Cost of fabrication (10-15 times the material cost)

 Challenges in material characterization
 Repair work is not a simple process (flaws, cracks may
be left as un detected)
 Compromise on fracture toughness for strength
 Need not to give high performance in all properties
and aspects

14
Composites-Limitations

15
Composites-selection

16
 Reinforcements for composites
 For improved ductility, toughness
and effective transfer of load from
matrix to fiber large surface area is
needed at fiber matrix interface
 Consider a lamina
 For same volume on the other
lamina

 Fiber matrix interface area-

17
Reinforcements for composites
 Griffith (1920) found that as the glass rods and fibers got
thinner, they got stronger (1500 MPa at d = 2 μm, 170 MPa at d
= 20 μm)
 smaller the diameter, the smaller the likelihood that failure-
inducing surface cracks would be generated during fabrication
and handling.

 Griffith found that for very small diameters the fiber strength
approached the theoretical cohesive strength between adjacent
layers of atoms.
 For large diameters the fiber strength dropped to near the
strength of bulk glass.

18
 Reinforcements for composites
 Flexibility-Fibers are expected to bend without breaking are required in
manufacturing of composite materials, especially for woven fabric
composites Consider a lamina

 From the simple bending theory, the flexibility and moment of inertia I for
bending of a cylindrical body of diameter d under bending moment is
expressed as

 Flexibility=(1/stiffness)

19
 Fiber factors on performances of
composites
 Fiber length
Long fibers-impact resistance, low shrinkage, surface finish,
dimensional stability
Short fibers- low cost, easy to work, fewer flaws and less
fabrication time.
 Orientation
 one direction give very high stiffness and strength in that direction
 If orientated in different directions and higher strength in orientations
(mat, lamina)
 For same volume of fibers per unit volume of the composite, it cannot
match the stiffness and strength of unidirectional composites

20
 Fibers on performances of
composites
 Fiber shape
 Circular
 square and hexagonal (High packing factor, stiffness, stiffness, processing
difficulty)
 Material-high strength and elastic moduli materials
 Fiber matrix interface
 mechanical bond-roughness or etching of the fiber surface causing interlocking
 Chemical bond-fiber surface and matrix (coupling agents)
(CTE??????)-residual stress, warpage-distortion
 Reaction bonding-atoms or molecules of fiber and matrix diffuse into each other
at the interface-interphase

21
Matrix
 Matrix material
• provides the bulk form of the part or product
• holds the imbedded phase in place
• shares the load with the secondary phase

22
Matrix Materials
 Functions of the matrix
• Transmit force between fibers
• arrest cracks from spreading between fibers
• do not carry most of the load
• hold fibers in proper orientation
• protect fibers from environment
• mechanical forces can cause cracks that allow environment to affect fibers
 Demands on matrix
• Interlaminar shear strength
• Toughness
• Moisture/environmental resistance
• Temperature properties
• Cost

23
Classification of composite material
 Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs)
• Include mixtures of ceramics and metals, such as cemented
carbides and other cermets, as well as aluminum or
magnesium reinforced by strong, high stiffness fibers
 Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs)
• Least common composite matrix.
• Aluminum oxid and silicon carbide are materials that can be
imbedded with fibers for improved properties, especially in
high temperature applications
 Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs)
• Thermosetting resins are the most widely used polymers in
PMCs.
• Epoxy and polyester are commonly mixed with fiber
reinforcement

24
Polymer Matrices

Polymers

Thermosets Thermoplastics Elastomers

Non-crystalline Crystalline

25
Matrices - Polymeric
 Thermosets
• cure by chemical reaction
• Irreversible
• Examples
• Polyester, vinylester
• Most common, lower cost, solvent resistance
• Epoxy resins
• Superior performance, relatively costly

26
Matrices - Thermosets
Polyester

Polyesters have good mechanical properties, electrical

properties and chemical resistance.
Polyesters are amenable to multiple fabrication techniques
and are low cost.
Service temp-<100° C

Vinyl Esters
Vinyl Esters are similar to polyester in performance. Vinyl
esters have increased resistance to corrosive environments
as well as a high degree of moisture resistance.

27
Matrices - Thermosets
Epoxy

 Three atoms (1 oxygen, 2 carbon), reaction of

epicholorohydrin with phenolis or aromatic amines forms
epoxy
Improved strength and stiffness properties over polyesters.

Excellent corrosion resistance and resistance to solvents

and alkalis.
Cure cycles are usually longer than polyesters, however no
by-products are produced.
Flexibility and improved performance is also achieved by the
utilization of additives and fillers.

28
Matrices - Thermosets

Epoxy

 2/3 of PMC in aircraft structures

Wetting of fibers, prevents misalignment during
processing
Low volatility during curing and low shrinkage
rate
Available in more than 20 grades

29
Matrices - Thermoplastics
 Formed by heating to elevated temperature at
which softening occurs
• Reversible reaction
• Can be reformed and/or repaired - not common
• Limited in temperature range to 150C
 Examples
• Polypropylene
• with nylon or glass
• can be injected-- inexpensive
• Soften layers of combined fiber and resin and place in
a mold -- higher costs

30
 Matrices

 Thermosetting polymeric resins – epoxy,

polyester, phenolics, polurethane, polyimides
 Thermoplastic resins – polyamide (nylon),
polypropylene (PP), poly ether ether ketone
(PEEK), Polyphenylene Sulfides (PPS)
 Elastomers – silicone, neoprene (CR), NBR,
SBR
 Metal matrix
 Ceramic matrix
31
32
33
Matrices - Others
 Metal Matrix Composites - higher
temperature
• e.g., Aluminum with boron or carbon fibers
 Ceramic matrix materials - very high
temperature
• Fiber is used to add toughness, not
necessarily higher in strength and stiffness

34
Additional elements
 Hardeners-aids/ supports curing
process
 Plastizers-Lubricants, improves
toughness, flexibility, processability and
ductility, reduces the strength
 Fillers-Ingredients to improve the surface
texture, strength (Fabric, chopped wood
flour)

35
The Reinforcing Phase
The imbedded phase is most commonly
one of the following shapes:
• Fibers
• Particles
• Flakes

36
Basic Principles of reinforcement
 Types of reinforcing elements
 Forms of reinforcing elements
 Direction of reinforcement
 Load transferring ability
 Volume fraction of reinforcements
 Continuous vs. discontinuous
reinforcement

37
The Reinforcing Phase
Fibers
 Diameters range from .0001 in to about .005 in depending
on the material.
 Generally circular in cross-section, but can also be in the
form of tubular, rectangle, hexagonal.
 Fibers used can be either continuous or discontinuous

• Continuous fibers – are very long; in theory, they offer a

continuous path by which a load Can be carried by the
composite material
• Discontinuous fibers – are short lengths

38
The Reinforcing Phase
Orientation of fibers is an important consideration.
 One-dimensional

• maximum strength and stiffness are obtained in the

direction of the fiber
 Planar

• in the form of two-dimensional woven fabric

 Random or three-dimensional

• the composite material tends to posses isotropic

properties

39
Forms of Reinforcement Phase
 Fibers
• cross-section can be circular, square or hexagonal
• Diameters --> 0.0001” - 0.005 “
• Lengths --> L/D ratio
• 100 -- for chopped fiber
• much longer for continuous fiber
 Particulate
• small particles that impede dislocation movement (in metal
composites) and strengthens the matrix
• For sizes > 1 m, strength of particle is involved in load sharing
with matrix
 Flakes
• flat platelet form

40
Types of Composite Materials
There are five basic types of composite materials:
Fiber, particle, flake, laminar or layered and filled
composites.

41
 A. Fiber Composites

In fiber composites, the fibers reinforce along the line of their length.
Reinforcement may be mainly 1-D, 2-D or 3-D. Figure shows the three basic
types of fiber orientation.

 1-D gives maximum strength in

one direction.

 2-D gives strength in two

directions.

 Isotropic gives strength equally in

all directions.
42
Composite strength depends on
following factors:
 Inherent fiber strength,
Fiber length, Number of
flaws
 Fiber shape
 The bonding of the fiber
(equally stress
distribution)
 Voids
 Moisture (coupling
agents)
43
 B. Particle Composites
 Particles usually reinforce a composite equally in all directions (called
isotropic). Plastics, cermets and metals are examples of particles.
 Particles used to strengthen a matrix do not do so in the same way as fibers.
 For one thing, particles are not directional like fibers. Spread at random
through out a matrix, particles tend to reinforce in all directions equally.

 Cermets
(1) Oxide–Based cermets
(e.g. Combination of Al2O3 with Cr)
(2) Carbide–Based Cermets
(e.g. Tungsten–carbide, titanium–carbide)
 Metal–plastic particle composites
(e.g. Aluminum, iron & steel, copper particles)
 Metal–in–metal Particle Composites and
Dispersion Hardened Alloys
(e.g. Ceramic–oxide particles)
44
C. Flake Composites - 1
 Flakes, because of their shape, usually
reinforce in 2-D.
 Two common flake materials are glass
and mica. (Also aluminum is used as
metal flakes)

45
C. Flake Composites -2
 A flake composite consists of thin, flat flakes
held together by a binder or placed in a
matrix.
 Almost all flake composite matrixes are
plastic resins. The most important flake
materials are:
1. Aluminum
2. Mica
3. Glass

46
 C. Flake Composites -3
Basically, flakes will provide:
 Uniform mechanical properties in the plane of
the flakes
 Higher strength

 Higher flexural modulus

 Higher dielectric strength and heat resistance

 Better resistance to penetration by liquids and

vapor
 Lower cost

47
D. Laminar Composites - 1
Laminar composites involve two or more
layers of the same or different materials.

The layers can be arranged in different

directions to give strength where needed.

Speedboat hulls, leaf spring,etc are among

the very many products of this kind.

48
 D. Laminar Composites - 2
 Like all composites laminar composites aim
at combining constituents to produce
properties that neither constituent alone
would have.
 In laminar composites outer metal is not
called a matrix but a face.
 The inner metal, even if stronger, is not
called a reinforcement. It is called a base.

49
 D. Laminar Composites - 3
We can divide laminar composites into three basic types:
 Unreinforced–layer composites

(1) All–Metal
(a) Plated and coated metals (electrogalvanized steel –
steel plated with zinc)
(b) Clad metals (aluminum–clad, copper–clad)
(c) Multilayer metal laminates (tungsten, beryllium)
(2) Metal–Nonmetal (metal with plastic, rubber, etc.)
(3) Nonmetal (glass–plastic laminates, etc.)
 Reinforced–layer composites (laminae and laminates)
 Combined composites (reinforced–plastic laminates well
bonded with steel, aluminum, copper, rubber, gold, etc.)

50
 D. Laminar Composites - 4

 A lamina (laminae) is any

arrangement of unidirectional
or woven fibers in a matrix.
Usually this arrangement is
flat, although it may be
curved, as in a shell.

 A laminate is a stack of
lamina arranged with their
main reinforcement in at least
two different directions.

51
E. Filled Composites
 There are two types of filled composites.
 In one, filler materials are added to a normal
composite result in strengthening the
composite and reducing weight.
 The second type of filled composite consists
of a skeletal 3-D matrix holding a second
material. The most widely used composites of
this kind are sandwich structures and
honeycombs.

52
 F. Combined Composites
 It is possible to combine
several different materials
into a single composite.
 It is also possible to combine
several different composites
into a single product.
 A good example is a modern
(snow)ski. (combination of
wood as natural fiber, and
layers as laminar
composites)

53
Fibers
 Inorganic fibers
• Glass
• Graphite (carbon)
• Silicon carbide
 Organic fibers
• Aramid
• Thermoplastics
 Metallic fibers
• Stainless steel
• Nickel alloy
54
The Reinforcing Phase
Types of fabrics
Currently, the most common fibers used in composites are
glass, graphite (carbon), boron and Kevlar 49.
 Glass – most widely used fiber in polymer composites,
the term fiberglass is applied to denote glass fiber-
reinforced plastic (GFRP)
• E-glass – strong and low cost, but modulus is less than
other (500,000 psi)
• S-glass – stiffer and its tensile strength in one of the highest
of all fiber materials (650,000 psi). Has about five times
the tensile strength of steel and has a density of about
one third that of steel

55
The Reinforcing Phase
 Carbon – are generally a combination of graphite. Graphite
has a tensile strength three to five times stronger than steel
and has a density that is one-fourth that of steel.

 Boron – very high elastic modulus, but its high cost limits its
application to aerospace components

 Ceramics – Silicon carbide (SiC) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3)

are the main fiber materials among ceramics. Both have high
elastic moduli and can be used to strengthen low-density, low-
modulus metals such as aluminum and magnesium

 Metal – Steel filaments, used as reinforcing fiber in plastics

56
Glass Fibers
 Glass is an amorphous material that consists of a
silica (SiO2) backbone with various oxide
components
 A-glass: Appearance
 E-glass: calcium aluminoborosilicate with 2% alkali;
good strength and electrical resistivity; the least
expensive one
 S-glass: 40% higher than E-glass; high temp
application
 C-glass: soda limeborosilicate; use in corrosive
environments
 D-glass: Dielectric environments
 Quartz: low dielectric; use for protecting antennas
and radomes
57
Properties of Glass Fibers

58
59
Use of Glass Fibers
 Tensile strength is highly dependent on surface
defects.
 The shorter the sample, the higher the value.
 Moisture has a detrimental effect on strengths
 Temperature has profound impact on strength
and modulus.
 The higher the temperature, the lower the
strength (E-glass will be lower than S-glass).
 The higher the temperature, the higher the
tensile modulus (E and S are about the same)

60
Surface Treatments

 Glass fibers are very brittle and

susceptible to developing tiny cracks
when processed lead to premature
failure
 a thin temporary water soluble coating
 Coupling agent – Silanes

61
Manufacturing of glass Fibers
Sand, limestone, alumina
@1500°C

Platinum alloy nozzles 250 nos, (Ø10μm,

25 m/s)
Organic sizing solutions,
lubricants, coupling agent,
binder- for packing

62
Carbon/Graphite Fibers
 Three precursors: polyacrylonitrile (PAN),
Rayon, and mesophase pitch fibers,
stretched and heated at 350oC then 1000oC
Dimensions

C, Ni atm- pyrolisis

Graphitic form,
tension

63
Carbon/Graphite Fibers

 CVD method: Pyrolytic deposition (via

methane, benzene and naphthalene) at
1000oC
 Carbon fibers heated to 2000oC with/without
stretching (graphitization) graphite fibers

64
Properties of Graphite Fibers

65
Organic Fibers
 Developed from aromatic polyamides, also known as aramid
fibers
 Manufactured by E.I. Du Pont with a trade name – Kevlar
 It is fully aligned and closely packed
 The polymer is washed and then dissolved in sulfuric acid.
20 wt% polymer solution is then passed through an extruder
and spinnerettes to develop a high degree of orientation
(liquid crystal form; process patented)
 Four types of aramid fibers: kevlar®, Kevlar 29 (high
toughness), kevlar 49 (high modulus) and kevlar 149 (ultra-
high modulus)
 Kevlar fibers are less brittle than carbon or glass fibers
 Combination of good strength, light weight and excellent
toughness has led to the unique applications for aramid
composites

66
 Properties of Kevlar Fibers
Tensile  Tensile  Elongation  Density
Modulus  Strength  (%) (g/c.c.)
(MPa) (MPa)
K­29 83 3.6 4 1.44

K­49 131 3.6 2.8 1.44

K­149 186 3.4 2 1.47

67
 Inorganic Fibers
 A class of short crystalline fibers, often called crystal
whisker fibers
 Made of aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, magnesium
oxide, potassium titanate, silicon carbide, silicon nitride,
titanium boride, etc.
 Boron and silicon carbide fibers are popular because
they offer very high tensile strength and modulus.
 Boron fibers are considered amorphous (crystal
structure is small), but SiC has a much larger crystal
structure.
 Boron fibers have a surface structure like scale or
corncob appearance. SiC fibers have a smoother
surface than boron.
 Boron composites have excellent tensile property
retention with increasing temperature
68
Boron/Silicon Carbide
 Boron trichloride interacts with the tungsten filament to form
tungsten borides, simultaneous bonded with the deposited
boron coated layers.
 Silicon carbide, a structure similar to diamond, offers a low
density, high stiffness, high strength and excellent thermal
stability and thermal conductivity properties.
 Growth from a melt --whisker form – defect free, single
crystal rod, 0.1-1μm in diameter
 CVD on fine carbon (30 μm) or tungsten (10 μm) fiber core
to yield a large-diameter SiC monofilament fiber (100-150
μm)
 Developed from polycarbosilane (PCS) precursor, stretched
and heated at 1300oC .

69
Properties of Boron and SiC Filaments
Boron  Silicon Carbide

Density (g/cc) 2.40­2.59 2.98­3.20

Tensile Strength  3.60 3.90
(GPa)
Tensile Modulus  441 400
(GPa)
Elongation (%) 0.9 N/A

CTE (10­6  2.5 N/A

cm/cm/oC)
Cost ($/lb) 320 100
70
METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES
Common reinforcing phase includes
• Particles of ceramic (commonly called cermets)
• Fibers of various materials, including other metals,
ceramics, carbon, and boron
 FRMMC – combine the high tensile strength and
modulus of elasticity of a fiber with metals of low
density, thus achieving good strength-to-weight and
modulus-to-weight ratios in the resulting composite
material.

71
METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES
Cemented carbides are composed of one or more
Carbide compounds bonded in a metallic matrix

Common cemented carbides are based on:

 Tungsten carbide (WC)

 Titanium carbide (TiC)

 Chromium carbide (Cr3C2)

 Tantalum carbide (TaC)

72
METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES
Carbide ceramics constitute the principal ingredient in
cemented carbides, typically ranging in content from
80% to 95% of total weight.

Principle metallic binders are:

• Cobalt – used for WC
• Nickel - used TiC and Cr3C2

73
METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES
 Cutting tools are the most common application of
cemented carbides based on tungsten carbide

 Titanium carbide cermets are used principally for high

temperature applications.
• Nickel is the preferred binder; its oxidation resistance at
high temperature is superior to that of cobalt.
• Used as a cutting tool material for machining steels.

74
CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES
Advantage Disadvantage
 High stiffness  Low toughness and bulk
 Hardness tensile strength
 Hot hardness  Susceptibility to thermal

 Compressive strength cracking

 Relatively low density

Ceramic matrix composites represent an attempt to

retain the desirable properties of ceramics while
compensating for their weakness.

75
CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES
Ceramic materials used as matrices includes:
• Alumina
• Boron carbide
• Boron nitride
• Silicon carbide
• Silicon nitride
• Titanium carbide

76
POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES
The most important of the three classes of synthetic
composites.
FRP are most closely identified with the term composite.
FRP
 A composite material consisting of a polymer matrix
imbedded with high-strength fibers.
 Widely used in rubber products such as tires and
conveyor belts.
 Principle fiber materials are: glass, carbon, and Kevlar

49 with glass (E-glass) the most common fiber material

77
POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES
 Advanced composites – use boron, carbon, Kevlar
as the reinforcing fibers with epoxy as the common
matrix polymer.

78
POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES
Hybrids
When two or more fibers materials are combined in the
composite.
• Intraply hybrids (within) - Alternate strands of
different fibers in a single layer or ply (Fig. 19-6).
• Interply hybrid (across) – Different plies of different
fibers (Figure 19-7).
 The most widely used form if a laminar structure,
made by stacking and bonding thin layers of fiber
and polymer until the desired thickness is obtained.

79
POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES
Attractive features of FRP:
• high strength-to-weight ratio
• high modulus-to-weight ratio
• low specific gravity
• good fatigue strength
• good corrosion resistance, although polymers are
soluble in various chemicals
• low thermal expansion, leading to good dimensional
stability
• significant anisotropy in properties

80
 COMPOSITE BENEFITS
• CMCs: Increased toughness • PMCs: Increased E/

ceramics
Force 103
particle-reinf
E(GPa) PMCs
102
10 metal/
fiber-reinf 1 metal alloys
un-reinf
.1 G=3E/8 polymers
.01 K=E
Bend displacement .1 .3 1 3 10 30
10-4 Density,  [Mg/m3]
ss (s -1) 6061 Al
• MMCs: 10-6
Increased
creep 6061 Al
10-8
resistance w/SiC
whiskers (MPa)
10-10
20 30 50 100 200 81
Fiber Reinforcement
 The typical composite consists of a matrix holding
reinforcing materials.
 The reinforcing materials, the most important is the
fibers, supply the basic strength of the composite.
However, reinforcing materials can contribute much
more than strength.
 They can conduct heat or resist chemical corrosion.
They can resist or conduct electricity.
 They may be chosen for their stiffness (modulus of
elasticity) or for many other properties.

82
 Types of Fibers
The fibers are divided into two main groups:
 Glass fibers: There are many different kinds of glass,
ranging from ordinary bottle glass to high purity quartz
glass. All of these glasses can be made into fibers.
Each offers its own set of properties.
 Advanced fibers: These materials offer high strength
and high stiffness at low weight. Boron, silicon, carbide
and graphite fibers are in this category. So are the
aramids, a group of plastic fibers of the polyamide
(nylon) family.

83
Fibers - Glass
Fiberglass properties vary somewhat according to the type of glass used.
However, glass in general has several well–known properties that contribute
to its great usefulness as a reinforcing agent:
• Tensile strength
• Chemical resistance
• Moisture resistance
• Thermal properties
• Electrical properties

There are four main types of glass used in fiberglass:

• A–glass
• C–glass
• E–glass
• S–glass

84
Fibers - Glass
 Most widely used fiber
 Uses: piping, tanks, boats, sporting goods
 Advantages
• Low cost
• Corrosion resistance
• Low cost relative to other composites:
 Disadvantages
• Relatively low strength
• High elongation
• Moderate strength and weight
 Types:
• E-Glass - electrical, cheaper
• S-Glass - high strength

85
Fibers - Aramid (kevlar, Twaron)
 Uses:
• high performance replacement for glass fiber
 Examples
• Armor, protective clothing, industrial, sporting
goods
 Advantages:
• higher strength and lighter than glass
• More ductile than carbon

86
Fibers - Carbon
 2nd most widely used fiber
 Examples
• aerospace, sporting goods
 Advantages
• high stiffness and strength
• Low density
• Intermediate cost
• Properties:
• Standard modulus: 207-240 Gpa
• Intermediate modulus: 240-340 GPa
• High modulus: 340-960 GPa
• Diameter: 5-8 microns, smaller than human hair
• Fibers grouped into tows or yarns of 2-12k fibers

87
Fibers -- Carbon (2)
 Types of carbon fiber
• vary in strength with processing
• Trade-off between strength and modulus
 Intermediate modulus
• PAN (Polyacrylonitrile)
• fiber precursor heated and stretched to align structure and
remove non-carbon material
 High modulus
• made from petroleum pitch precursor at lower cost
• much lower strength
88
Fibers - Others
 Boron
• High stiffness, very high cost
• Large diameter - 200 microns
• Good compressive strength
 Polyethylene - trade name: Spectra fiber
• Textile industry
• High strength
• Extremely light weight
• Low range of temperature usage
89
Fibers -- Others (2)
 Ceramic Fibers (and matrices)
• Very high temperature applications (e.g.
engine components)
• Silicon carbide fiber - in whisker form.
• Ceramic matrix so temperature resistance is
not compromised
• Infrequent use

90
Fiber Material Properties

Steel: density (Fe) = 7.87 g/cc; TS=0.380 GPa; Modulus=207 GPa

Al: density=2.71 g/cc; TS=0.035 GPa; Modulus=69 GPa

91
Fiber Strength

92
 SUMMARY
• Composites are classified according to:
-- the matrix material (CMC, MMC, PMC)
-- the reinforcement geometry (particles, fibers, layers).
• Composites enhance matrix properties:
-- MMC: enhance y, TS, creep performance
-- CMC: enhance Kc
-- PMC: enhance E, y, TS, creep performance
• Particulate-reinforced:
-- Elastic modulus can be estimated.
-- Properties are isotropic.
• Fiber-reinforced:
-- Elastic modulus and TS can be estimated along fiber dir.
-- Properties can be isotropic or anisotropic.
• Structural:
-- Based on build-up of sandwiches in layered form.

93 11
Important Note
Composite properties are less than
that of the fiber because of dilution
by the matrix and the need to orient
fibers in different directions.

94
Costs of composite manufacture
 Material costs -- higher for composites
• Constituent materials (e.g., fibers and resin)
• Processing costs -- embedding fibers in matrix
• not required for metals Carbon fibers order of magnitude
higher than aluminum
 Design costs -- lower for composites
• Can reduce the number of parts in a complex
assembly by designing the material in combination
with the structure
 Increased performance must justify higher
material costs

95
Applications
 Aerospace
• Interiors

www.hillaero.com/ Composite.html

96
Applications
 Aerospace
• Interiors
• Secondary Structures

Composite Rocket Fairings (Black)

97
Applications
 Aerospace
• Interiors
• Secondary Structures
• Airframes

Proteus Long Duration Aircraft for

Cellular Service

98
Left: AGM-158 nose is made with a triaxial braiding machine
Right: AGM-158 during a test flight.

99
Applications
 Aerospace
• Interiors
• Secondary Structures
• Airframes
• Turbine Blades

www.geae.com/ ourcommitment/innovation/

c-fan.com/ cfan_overview.html 100

 Applications
Automotive
-Secondary Structures/body panels

101
 Applications
Automotive
-Secondary Structures/body panels
-Corrosion sensitive parts

102
Valve covers for
Daimler- Chrysler’s
engine.
BMC 695 vinyl ester
Provides impact and
corrosion resistance

103
Automotive Applications
 Secondary
 Corrosion Sensitive
 Drive Train &
Suspension

Tokico Leaf Springs for Trucks

104
 Applications
Automotive
-Secondary Structures/body panels
-Corrosion sensitive parts
-Drive train and suspension
-Boat hulls

105
Consumer Applications
 Sporting Goods
• Fishing poles
• Skis
• Protective gear
• Racquets

106
Civil/Structural Applications
 Corrosion Resistant
Structures

Barges for Sulfide Pond

107
Civil/Structural Applications
 Corrosion Resistant
Structures
 Seismic Retrofits

108
www.fhwa.dot.gov/ bridge/frp/seismpho.htm
Civil/Structural Applications
 Corrosion Resistant
Structures
 Seismic Retrofits
 Rebar

109
Civil/Structural Applications
 Corrosion Resistant
Structures
 Seismic Retrofits
 Rebar
 Light Structures

www.skp-cs.com/

110
 Applications
Medical
Hip Implants

111
 Applications
Medical
Hip Implants
Prostheses

112