Composites - Fibres and matrices

the most common reinforcing

g fibres
common polymer matrices

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

The most common reinforcing fibres (1)

Glass fibres
Carbon fibres
Organic fibres

carbon fibre

aramid fibre

glass fibre

glass
fabric
carbon
fabric
aramid
fabric

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Glass fibres
Are obtained through drawing of very thin wires out of a
molten glass bath
Glass fibre grades:

E : has good electrical properties; most used glass fibre; fair to

good
d mechanical
h i l properties
ti for
f fair
f i price
i (E=70-76
(E 70 76 GPa,
GP
t=3000 MPa, =2560 kg/m3),
C : improved chemical resistance,
S: (VS) & R (EU) improved stiffness and strength (E=85 GPa),
M: extra high stiffness (E=120 GPa),
X : extra high stiffness and strength (E=125 GPa, t=7000 MPa),
quartz :pure silica fibres; high resistance against thermal shocks
because of very low thermal expansion coefficient

Glass fibres are frequently chopped to be used as short fibres

(chopped & staple fibres), which can be further combined to
form mats:
easy handling and draping,
lower mechanical properties: fibres are broken, and possible fibre
volume fraction is limited (20-30%)

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Drawing a glass fibre

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Carbon fibres
Are obtained through consecutive oxidation (200-400C),
pyrolysis (300-1600C) of a precursor (PAN polyacrylonitrile- or
pitch), possibly followed by further graphitisation (2000-3000C)
Carbon fibre grades:

(AS: lower end fibre for general use)

HS & IM: high strength & intermediate modulus
(E=200-350 GPa, t=3500-5000 MPa, =1800 kg/m3)
HM en UHM : high modulus & ultra high modulus
(E=350-700 GPa, t=3500-2000 MPa,
=1800-2000 kg/m3)

Carbon fibres have small to slightly negative thermal expansion

coefficient, and are electrically conductive

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Producing a carbon fibre

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Organic fibres
Are obtained through special production methods
(eg. gel spinning process)
Fibre grades:

(poly-)
(p l ) aramid
mid

brand
b
nd names
n m s Kevlar
K l (DuPont)
(DuP nt) (E=130
(E 130 GPa,
GP
t=2800 MPa, =1450 kg/m3), andTwaron (Akzo)
high density poly-ethylene (HD PE) brand name Dyneema (DSM)

Advantages:

very light (HD PE is even lighter than water!); extreme high

specific stiffnesses and strengths,
high bending capacity and thoughness: good reputation for impact
resistant applications & easier to process on classical textile
machines than glass and carbon fibres

Disadvantages:

medium to poor creep behaviour (especially HD PE),

aramid has low compression strenght (only quarter of tensile
strenght!!), is relatively sensitive to moisture and to UV-light

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Gel spinning at Akzo (-Twaron)

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Dyneema (PE-fibre)
Towing cables for ships
(floats)

Surgical wire

Ballistic (bulletproof vest)

Safety gloves (cut resistance)

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Specific properties of some reinforcing

fibres
Specific strength

Specific stiffness

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Mechanical properties of some reinforcing

fibres

glass fibre

density

aramid
fibre

carbon fibre

Metallic
fibre

Kevlar 49

HS

HM

UHM

[kg/m3]

2540

2500

1450

1750

1900

1950

1550

2630

[GPa]

72
(72)

85

130
(5.38)

230
(20.4)

350
(12.1)

500

150

420
(420)

2800

3600

2800

2700

2000

1860

1400

3400

E-mod.
(longitudinal)
tensile strength

[MPa]
(compression
strength)
f
failure
strain

(1750)
[%]
%

(250)

(2300)

39
3.9

4.2
2

22
2.2

12
1.2

06
0.6

0
0.4

09
0.9

08
0.8

therm. expans. coeff.

[10-6.K-1]

2.9

-2

0.5

-0.5

-1

2.8

diameter

10

10

12

11

200

[m]

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Mechanical properties of some reinforcing

fibres (2)

(http://www.azom.com/)

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Composites - Fibres and matrices

the most common reinforcing

g fibres
common polymer matrices

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Thermoplastics versus thermosets

Thermoplastic polymers have
lineair molecular chains with only
minor nesting; become soft to even
fluid at higher temperatures

Upon polymerisation, thermosets

get a strong, chemically 3D-bonded
structure; trying to melt results in
degradation and carbonising.

C. Degeest (SONACA, M&P Engineering), SAMPE meeting 2004

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Thermosetting polymers
Are obtained through polycondensation reactions (fenolformaldehyde (bakelite), aminoplasts), or spatial cross-linking
(polyesters en epoxies). Cross-linking usually is mostly done
using
i catalysts
l
and
d accelerators;
l
i some cases temperature
in
and pressure are sufficient to start-up and maintain the
polymerisation process
Some important thermosets for use in composites:
polyesters (relatively cheap, up to 80C)
vinylesters (water resistant)
epoxies (more expensive, very good mechanical properties, up to
150C)
phenolics (improved fire behaviour),
polyimides (higher operating temperatures)

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Thermosetting polymers (2)

Pro:

affordable,
processing at room temperature possible,
processing possible with restricted investments,
low viscosity and good fibre wetting

Contra:
relatively high shrinkage at polymerisation (1 tot 8 % volumetric),
give rise to pores (through condensation, solvents, thinners,...);
vapors may be toxic and carcinogenic,
not really recyclable (unless as filling materials or as solid- fuel)

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Thermoplastic polymers

Are typically devided in:

amorphous; no clear melting point, high viscosity, frequently

transparant (polycarbonate, polysulphone)
semi-crystalline; clear melting point, lower viscosity, more crimp
and deformation, typically non-transparant (thermoplastic
polyester, polyamide)
liquid
li id crystalline;
st lli ; easy
s processing
p
ssi through
th
h shear
sh
thinning,
thi i very
low crimp, dimensional stabilitiy, highly oriented structure
(anisotropy), non-transparant (aromatic copolyester)

Some important thermoplastics:

polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP),

polyamide (PA, relatively cheap, up to 75C),
polysulphone (PS),
Polyphenylenesulphide
yp
y
p
((PPS,, up
p to 218C))
polyethersulphone (PES, up to 215C),
polyether-etherketone (PEEK, up to 300C)

Thermoplastics are typically categorized under simple

plastics, commodity plastics, engineering plastics, hightech engineering plastics

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Classification of thermoplastics
amorphous

semi-crystalline

liquid crystalline

Liquid

solid
lid

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Thermoplastic polymers (2)

Pro (or potentially pro):

can be made molten (limited! reversible process); fabrication

theoretically simple and fast, recyclable,
no chemical reactions at processing
limited shrinkage at processing,
processing
composite parts can be welded,
generally have greater ductility (however, generally quite
sensitive to strain rate)

Contra:

better grades are often expensive,

keep
p high
g viscosity
y when molten, making
g actual p
processing
g
sometimes difficult; need high investments (temp., press.),
prone to creep (limited use in structures under constant load),
degree of crystallinity often difficult to control; crystallinity has
high impact on mechanical properties

Composites

Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

Typical properties of some polymer

matrices
thermoset

thermoplastic

polyester

epoxy

nylon 6.6

Polyimide

density

[kg/m3]

1260

1750

1140

1630

E-mod.

[GPa]

3.5

1.5

40
(120)

90
(150)

60

90

60

150

60

90

264

tensile strength [MPa]

(compressive)
failure strain

[%]

therm. Expansion
coeff.
[10-6.C-1]
melting point

[C]

glass transition
temp.

[C]

operating temp.

[C]

crimp at
polymerisation

[%]

(amorphous)

250
80

150

75

230

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Ives De Baere and Joris Degrieck 2013-2014

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