Mechanical Engineering Science 8

Assessed exercise No. 1a

Calculating the mechanical properties of unidirectionally reinforced composites

I confirm that this report is prepared by me - Nasim Mammadov (H00112921)

Introduction and objective

One combination of fibre and matrix should be chosen from the table below. The range
of strength and modulus which can be achieved using UCFR. We are considering that
all combinations conform a brittle model.

In this brief report the effects of fibre diameter, volume fraction and length on strength
and modulus were illustrated with graphs. Furthermore, the appendices have been
added at the end of report containing an indication of how the complete calculations
were done.

Calculations

The Matrix 3 (nylon 6.6) and the Fibre 1 (E-glass) have been chosen (were highlighted
on the tables above) after the calculation of the fibre and matrix failure strains. The
composite conforms to the brittle fibre or brittle matrix model needed to find out for
the strength.

The calculations below shows that the matrix failure strain is higher than the fibre failure
strain, consequently The Matrix 3 (nylon 6.6) and the Fibre 1 (E-glass) have been
chosen for further investigations.

Picture 1. Graphical illustration of strain stress analyses of brittle fibres and brittle matrix

For investigation of how Youngs moduluss of fibre and matrix changes with volume
fraction we should calculate the shear modulus of the matrix and n parameter, then
increase the volume fraction between the range of 0-1 by 0.1 for each step.

The different 3 length and 3 dissimilar diameters have been chosen to analyse how
Youngs Modulus is changing with the different ranges of the volume fraction. We
need to know the aspect ratio and length correction factor to calculate Youngs
modulus.

And the corresponding modulus is:

(

(References: Table 1 and 2)

By knowing the different ranges of Youngs modulus for different lengths and diameters
we can plot the graph against the volume fraction. The graph below shows how Youngs
modulus are fluctuating against the same lengths and the dissimilar diameters.

1.6E+11
1.4E+11

Young's modulus

1.2E+11
1E+11
Series3
8E+10

Series2
Series1

6E+10
4E+10
2E+10

Volume fraction

0
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Graph 1. The relationship of Youngs modulus vs the volume fraction for different
lengths and the same diameters.
The graph below illustrates the change of Youngs modulus with the varying volume
fraction where the diameters are the same, but the lengths are varying.

1.4E+11
1.2E+11

Youngs moduus

1E+11
8E+10
6E+10
4E+10
2E+10

The volume fraction

0
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Graph 2. The relationship of Youngs modulus vs the volume fraction for different
diameters and the same lengths.

By comparing this two graphs we can see that how Youngs modulus and strength of
fibres are growing when the length of fibres are increasing, on the contrary Youngs
modulus and strength of fibres are decreasing when the diameter is growing.

For investigation of low and high volume fraction we should use different ranges of
diameters and lengths, for that firstly we need to find the critical length.

Now, we can find low volume fraction by using the formula below:
( )
(

(Reference: Table 3)

(
(

)
)

1.2E+09

1E+09

Low, V

800000000

600000000

400000000

200000000

0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Volume fraction

Graph3. The change of V, low by different diameters and the same lengths.

The same analyses were carried for high volume fraction by using the following formula:

(
(
(Reference: Table 4)

(
(

)
)

1.2

1.8E+09
1.6E+09
1.4E+09

High V

1.2E+09
1E+09
800000000
600000000
400000000
200000000
0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

Volume fraction

Graph3. The change of V, high with different diameters and the same lengths.

1.2E+09

1.6E+09

1E+09

1.4E+09
1.2E+09
1E+09

High,V

low,V

800000000
600000000

800000000
600000000

400000000

400000000
200000000

200000000
0

0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Volume fraction

1.2

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Volume fraction

Graphs 4 and 5: The change of low and high, V with different lengths and the same
diameters.

1.2

From the graphs it is clear that the strength of material is increasing when the diameter
is growing. On the contrary, the strength of the material is decreasing when the length
of the material is growing.

Conclusion
The effects of fibre diameter, volume fraction and length on strength and modulus have
been investigated. The EXCEL is used for investigating the effects of variables and
plotting results. From the analysis of the graphs it has been founded that Youngs
modulus and strength of fibres are growing when the length of fibres are increasing, on
the contrary Youngs modulus and strength of fibres are decreasing when the diameter
is growing.
Furthermore, strength of material is increasing when the diameter is
growing. On the contrary, the strength of the material is decreasing when the length of
the material is growing.

Appendices
EXCEL spreadsheets are used for all calculations in this report.
The table below shows the calculations of Youngs modulus for the same diameters and
different lengths.
Table 1
Volume
fraction

L.C
factor1
E1
L.C factor2
E2
0
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.1 0.15568826 0.8715382 8525075073 0.839423952
8293852454
0.2 0.19111781 0.8953525 14893076054 0.869190688
14516345911
0.3 0.22786538 0.9122289 21454143786 0.890286101
20980179789
n

0.4 0.27217175

L.C
factor3
E3
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.7859345 7908728364
0.8255912 13888512651
0.8537151 20190246938

0.926517 28183689247

0.908146235

27654611560 0.8775283 26772815982

0.5 0.33275065 0.9398949 35086217619

0.924868667

34545272024 0.8998249 33643696047

0.6 0.43108814 0.9536058 42195769494

0.7 0.66015342 0.969704 49623082202

0.942007219
0.962130015

41694711868 0.9226763 40859615824

49241352753 0.9495067 48605137004

0.8
0.9

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!
#NUM!

#NUM!

#NUM!

#NUM!

#NUM!

#NUM!

#NUM!

#NUM!

Table 2
The table below shows the calculations of Youngs modulus for the same lengths and
different diameters.
Volume
fraction

n
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1

#DIV/0!
0.15568826
0.19111781
0.22786538
0.27217175
0.33275065
0.43108814
0.66015342
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!

L.C
factor1
#DIV/0!
0.8715382
0.8953525
0.9122289
0.926517
0.9398949
0.9536058
0.969704
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!

E1
#DIV/0!
8525075073
14893076054
21454143786
28183689247
35086217619
42195769494
49623082202
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!

L.C factor2
E2
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.74329008
7601688576
0.790734632
13386578706
0.824461715
19558373043
0.853034337
26067388905
0.879789882
32922435753
0.907211551
40191538992
0.939408024
48096164405
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!

L.C
factor3
#DIV/0!
0.680111
0.7386315
0.7806205
0.8162993
0.8497378
0.8840144
0.92426
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!

E3
#DIV/0!
7146799392
12636294199
18611402503
25009421012
31840561983
39189424061
47332705506
#NUM!
#NUM!
#NUM!

The tables below are indicating the low and high V, with different diameters and the
same lengths.
D
1
2
3

L
100
100
100

Critical length
34.48275862
68.96551724
103.4482759

Table 3
Volume
fraction
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1

Low V (1)
85000000
110980000
136960000
162940000
188920000
214900000
240880000
266860000
292840000
318820000
344800000

Low V (2)
Low V (3)
High V (1)
High V (2)
High V (3)
85000000
85000000
85000000
85000000 85000000
145465000
179940000
242020000
207534500 173051800
205930000
274880000
399040000
330069000 261103600
266395000
369820000
556060000
452603500 349155400
326860000
464760000
713080000
575138000 437207200
387325000
559700000
870100000
697672500 525259000
447790000
654640000
1027120000
820207000 613310800
508255000
749580000
1184140000
942741500 701362600
568720000
844520000
1341160000
1065276000 789414400
629185000
939460000
1498180000
1187810500 877466200
689650000
1034400000
1655200000
1310345000 965518000

The tables below are indicating the low and high V, with different diameters and the
same lengths.

Diameter
3
3
3

Length
100
150
200

Lc
103.4482759
103.4482759
103.4482759

Table 4
Volume
fraction
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1

Low V (1)
85000000
179948200
274896400
369844600
464792800
559741000
654689200
749637400
844585600
939533800
1034482000

Low V (2)
Low V (3)
High V (1)
High V (2)
High V (3)
85000000
85000000
85000000
85000000 85000000
145465467
128220000
173052000
207534666.7 224775900
205930933
171440000
261104000
330069333.3 364551800
266396400
214660000
349156000
452604000 504327700
326861867
257880000
437208000
575138666.7 644103600
387327333
301100000
525260000
697673333.3 783879500
447792800
344320000
613312000
820208000 923655400
508258267
387540000
701364000
942742666.7 1.063E+09
568723733
430760000
789416000
1065277333 1.203E+09
629189200
473980000
877468000
1187812000 1.343E+09
689654667
517200000
965520000
1310346667 1.483E+09