MME131: Lecture 30

Composite Materials

A. K. M. B. Rashid
Professor, Department of MME
BUET, Dhaka

Topics to Discuss ..
What are composites?
Why do we make composite material?
Common terminologies
Classifications of composite materials
Benefits of composites

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What are composite materials ?

Composites are artificially materials containing of two or more
physically distinct phases, separated by a distinct interface

THE MATRIX
(aluminium)

INTERFACE
(allows transfer of
stress from the matrix
to the dispersed
phase)

REINFORCEMENT
(tungsten fibre)
tungsten fibre reinforced
aluminium composite

Some examples
of composite
materials

(a) plywood is a laminar

composite of layers of
wood veneer
(b) fiberglass is a fiberreinforced composite
containing stiff, strong
glass fibers in a softer
polymer matrix (175)
(c) concrete is a particulate
composite containing
coarse sand or gravel in a
cement matrix (reduced to
50%).

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Natural Composites:
wood and bamboo, shells, bones, muscles

Natural fibres:
silk, wool, cotton, jute

Abalone shell:
CaCO3 + 3% organic material
>3000 times stronger than calcite

Wood:
cellulose-filaments in
a matrix of lignin and
hemicellulose

Why do we make composites ?

The combination of phases produces properties that are different
from those of its constituents
Offset the poor qualities of one phase with the good qualities of another
The primary needs for making composites:
light weight
greater strength and stiffness
better corrosion resistance

higher operating temperatures

higher impact and wear resistance
higher reliability and affordability

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The best of both worlds

Metals
Pros

electrically, thermally conductive

good strength and ductility
high toughness
magnetic

Pros

electrically, thermally insulating

wear and corrosion resistant
high strength and stiffness
creep resistant
low density

Cons

dense
low creep resistance
low/moderate corrosion resistance

Composites

Ceramics
Cons

difficult to form/machine
very low toughness

Pros

very ductile
easy to form
corrosion resistant
high strength-to-weight ratio

Polymers
Cons

low stiffness & strength

poor high temperature properties

Common terminologies
The matrix
Continuous phase, or the bulk material, the property of which is
generally reinforced
Made from metals, polymers or ceramics
Some ductility of the matrix and high bonding strength between
matrix and reinforcements are desirable
Functions of matrix

Binds the reinforcements together

Mechanically supporting the reinforcements
Transfer the applied load to the reinforcements
Protect the reinforcements from surface damage due to abrasion or
chemical attacks

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 Metal matrix
moderately stiff and strong
moderately hard, wear and abrasion resistance
moderately creep and fatigue resistance
Aim to make much stiffer, stronger and wear, creep and fatigue resistant
Common matrices: Al, Cu, Ti, Ni
Example: SiC reinforced Al

Ceramic matrix
hard and brittle
Aim to make tougher and more reliable
Common matrices: glass, cement, Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2
Example: ZrO2 toughened Al2O3, Ag toughened Al2O3 , steel reinforced concrete

Polymer matrix
weaker and have low melting point
Aim to make more stronger and temperature resistant
Common matrices: epoxy, polyester, polyurethane, rubber
Example: GFRP, CFRP

The Reinforcing Material

The dispersed phase in the matrix

Made from metals, polymers or ceramics

Can be in the form of particles, fibres or various other geometries
Functions of reinforcing material: to enhance matrix properties

Particle reinforcement
Silver, Cobalt; Silica, Carbon black, Rocks, Alumina, Talc, SiC, Si3N4, Glass beads

Fibre reinforcement
Boron, Steel, Tungsten, Chromium; Carbon, Alumina, SiC, Glass, Kevlar

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Classification of composites
Based on Matrix Phase
Metal matrix
composites

Matrix: Moderately strong, stiff,

wear resistant and fatigue
resistant
Aim: To significantly improve
above properties
Example: SiC reinforced Al,
Precipitation hardened Al, etc.

Ceramic matrix
composites

Matrix: Hard and brittle

Aim: To make tougher and
more reliable

Example: Ag reinforced Al2O3 ,

ZrO2 reinforced TiO2 , steel
reinforced concrete

Polymer matrix
composites

Matrix: Weaker and have low

melting point
Aim: To make stronger and
more temperature resistant
Example: GFRP, CFRP

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Based on Dispersed Phase

Fibrous
composites
continuous vs. discontinuous
aligned vs. randomly oriented

GFRP
CFRP

Structural
composites

Particulate
composites
Large particle vs.
dispersion strengthened

WC particle
reinforced Co

sandwich structure vs.

honeycomb structure

Polymer core
sandwiched by Al faces

Fibre materials for reinforcement

Whiskers
thin single crystals - large length to diameter ratio
high crystal perfection extremely strong, strongest known
very expensive
example: graphite, SiN, SiC

Fibers
polycrystalline or amorphous
generally polymers or ceramics
example: Al2O3 , Aramid, E-glass, Boron

Wires
metal steel, Mo, W

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Structural composites
Properties of structural composites depends upon the geometrical
design of the reinforcement.

(a) Laminar composite structure conventional

(b) Sandwich structure
(c) Honeycomb sandwich structure

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Rule of Mixture for Fibre Reinforcement

Composite stress:

s c = s f Vf + s m Vm

Composite strain:

ec = ef = em

Hooks law:

sc
Ec

sf

sm

Ef

Em

Composite strength:

s c = s f V f + s m Vm

Composite stiffness:

Ec = EfVf + EmVm

Problem
A continuous and aligned glass fibre-reinforced composite consists of 40 vol.%
glass fibres having a modulus elasticity of 69 GPa and 60 vol.% polyester resin
that, when hardened, displays a modulus of 3.4 GPa.
(a) Compute the modulus of elasticity of this composite in the longitudinal
direction.
(b) If the cross-sectional area is 250 mm2 and a stress of 50 MPa is applied in
the longitudinal direction, compute the magnitude of the load carried by each
of the fibre and matrix phases.
(c) Determine the strain that is sustained by each phase when the stress in part
b is applied.

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Answer:
Given data:

EC = Ef Vf + Em Vm

Ef = 69 GPa
Em = 3.4 GPa
Vf = 0.40
Vm = 0.60

= (69 GPa).(0.40) + (3.4 GPa).(0.60)

= 30 GPa

(a)

Manipulating Hooks law for longitudinal directions, one may find

the ratio of forces on the fibres and the matrix
Ff
Ef Vf
=
Fm
Em Vm

Again, forces on the composite

FC = sC AC

(69 GPa).(0.40)

= (3.4 GPa).(0.60)
Ff = 13.5 Fm

[1]

Given data:

= (50 MPa).(250 mm2)

= 12500 N

FC = Ff + Fm = 12500 N

Using these two equations, one may find

Ff = 11640 N and
Fm = 860 N

For an unit length of composite

Am = V m AC

= (0.6).(250 mm2)
= 150 mm2

and Af = 100 mm2

sC = 50 MPa
AC = 250 mm2

[2]

(b)

sf = Ff / Af
= (11640 N) / (100 mm2)
= 116.40 MPa
sm = Fm / Am
= (860 N) / (150 mm2)
= 5.73 MPa

Then individual strain in each phase

ef = sf / Ef
= (116.40 MPa) / (69 GPa)
= 1.69x10-3 (c)

em = sm / Em
= (5.73 MPa) / (3.4 GPa)
= 1.69x10-3 (c)

Thus, as they should be, strains for both fibre and matrix
phases are identical

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Particle materials for reinforcement

Particles used can be ranging in size from microscopic (dispersionstrengthened composites) to macroscopic (large-particle composites)
Dispersion strengthening

Similar to precipitation hardening

Strengthening occurs in atomic/molecular level by making it harder for
dislocation to move

Large-particle strengthening
Harder and stiffer reinforcing particles tend to restrain movement of the
matrix phase in the vicinity of each particle

Particles may be of any shape ranging from irregular to spherical, plate-like

to needle-like.
The distribution of particles in the composite matrix is random, and therefore
strength and other properties of the composite material are usually isotropic

Particulate strengthening is much less efficient than fibre-reinforcing

SiC reinforced Al casting

(compliant)
(ductile)
(stiffer)
(brittle, hard)

Large-particle composites

Dispersion-strengthened composites

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Example
A cemented carbide cutting tool used for machining contains 75 wt% WC,
15 wt% TiC, 5 wt% TaC, and 5 wt% Co. Estimate the density of the
composite.

SOLUTION
First, we must convert the weight percentages to volume fractions. The
densities of the components of the composite are:

From the rule of mixtures, the density of the composite is

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Next Class
Lecture 34

Materials Selection

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