CDB 4423

Polymer Process Engineering

May 2017

EXPERIMENT 3 : COMPOSITE
GROUP : 3
GROUP MEMBERS : KOI ZI KANG 18868
NORANISAH BINTI JAMIAN 19339
SADADINE MAHAMAT YOUSSOUF 17839
LECTURER : DR WAN ZAIREEN NISA YAHYA
DATE OF EXPERIMENT : 15th JUNE 2017
Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Abstract .................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem Statement ................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Objectives ................................................................................................................ 1

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Composites............................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Polymer-Matrix Composites .................................................................................2-3
2.3 Rule of Mixtures ...................................................................................................... 3

Chapter 3: Methodology .........................................................................................................4-5

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions

4.1 Results ................................................................................................................... 6-7
4.2 Discussions .........................................................................................................7-10

Chapter 5: Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 11

References ........................................................................................................................... 11-12

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Abstract
Composites are largely produced due to its resulted superior properties from the combination
of two or more different materials. Composite is also referred as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)
which consists of a polymer resin matrix and a fiber as reinforcement. In this experiment,
reinforcement of epoxy resin with fiber glass was studied by measuring the theoretical Youngs
modulus of the composite. Also, effect of curing temperatures on mechanical properties of the
composite was investigated. In terms of theoretical Youngs modulus, it was found that the
fiber glass-reinforced epoxy with less hardener has higher Youngs modulus as compared to
that with more hardener which might be due to a better distribution of fiber glass in the less
hardener system. Moreover, the results from the experiment of effect of curing temperatures
on mechanical properties of the composite contradicted the theoretical prediction.

1.2 Problem Statement

What is the effect of curing temperatures on mechanical properties of composite?

1.3 Objectives

The experiment is designed to improve understanding on composite material. The objectives

of the experiment are:

To understand the concept of composite material

To acquire knowledge on the formation of composite material
To relate the effect of curing temperatures on mechanical properties of composite.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Composites

Composite is a material artificially made up of two or more different materials and its resulting
material properties are better than its individual materials that make up the composite (Callister,
2007). Most of the composite materials contain two phases which are matrix phase and
dispersed phase. Matrix phase is continuous and it wraps the dispersed phase. According to
Callister (2007), the composite properties are influenced by the relative amounts of each phase
as well as the geometry of the dispersed phase that encompasses particle size, distribution,
shape, orientation and concentration. The schematic diagram of various geometrical and spatial
characteristics of particles of dispersed phase is shown in Figure 2.1 (Callister, 2007).

Figure 2.1 Schematic representations of the various geometrical and spatial characteristics of
particles of the dispersed phase that may influence the properties of composites: (a)
concentration, (b) size, (c) shape, (d) distribution, and (e) orientation.

In most industrial products, polyester resin for instance polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy or phenolic
is the matrix phase and fiber is the dispersed phase (American Composites Manufacturers
Association, n.d.). Fiber contributes in terms of strength and stiffness whereas resin with more
flexibility provides shape and protects the fiber. Combination of both resin and fiber is called
a polymer-matrix composite.

2.2 Polymer-Matrix Composites

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As mentioned earlier, polymer-matrix composites consist of a polymer resin as the matrix, with
fibers as the reinforcement material. They receive the greatest attention due to their room-
temperature properties, ease of fabrication and cost (Callister, 2007). Three common types of
fibers are glass fiber, carbon fiber and aramid fiber. Glass fiber is produced in bulk and is
popular as the dispersed material as it can be easily drawn into high-strength fibers from the
molten state and its incorporation into polymer matrix could produce a composite with high
specific strength. Carbon fiber is mostly used in advanced polymer-matrix composites as it still
possesses high tensile modulus and high strength even at elevated temperatures and not affected
by moisture or a wide variety of solvents, acids, and bases at room temperature. Aramid fibers
are materials with high strength and high modulus and they are popular due to their
outstanding strength-to-weight ratios, which are superior to metals.

2.3 Rule of Mixtures

Rule of mixtures is widely used to predict and to compare the strength properties of composites
(Chawla, 1973). It is an operational tool that employs weighted volume average of the
component properties as individual components to calculate value of the composite property.
The schematic diagram of representation of rule of mixtures is shown in Figure 2.2 (University
of Cambridge, n.d.).

Figure 2.2 Schematic Diagram of Representation of Rule of Mixtures

For instance, Youngs modulus of a composite can be predicted by using rule of mixtures as
shown in Equation 1.
= + (1)
Where,
Ec, Em, Ef = Youngs modulus of composite, matrix and fiber respectively
Vm = Volume fraction of matrix
Vf = Volume fraction of fiber

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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

The simplified methodology of this experiment is as follows:

a) Sample Preparation

1) The mold (glass) is waxed.

2) 2 pieces of fibre glass mat is being cut and placed on the mold.

3) Epoxy with molecular weight of 700 g/mol and diamine with molecular weight of 448
g/mol are mixed with ratio of epoxy/diamine being 20/6.4.

4) The epoxy resin is the being poured onto the fibre glass and the composite is flattened
using a roller.

5) Two samples are allowed to react at room temperature for 24 hours while another two
samples is reacted at 120C for 2 hours in the oven.

6) On the next day, the composite is being cut into at least four 50mm 50mm 3mm
size composites.

7) These samples will be used for water adsorption process later.

b) Water Adsorption Test

1) Initial weights of composite samples are obtained at room temperature.

2) The dimension, the average thickness, length and width of each sample are measured
at room temperature before immersion.

3) Two samples from each curing temperature are then immersed in different water baths
at room temperature and at 50 C respectively.

4) The samples are then periodically removed from the water bath on a daily basis,
wiped with tissue paper and weighed before being immersed in the water again.

5) Step 4 is repeated for another three days.

6) The amount of water absorbed by the samples is then calculated using Equation (2),

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% = 100 (2)
0

Where,

Mt = water content at any given time

Wt = sample weight at the time of measurement

Wo =initial sample weight

7) All results are tabulated in the next chapter.

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CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Results

Table 4.1 Dimensions of Sample

Temperature
Ratio Cure Length Width Thickness
of Water Bath
(Epoxy/Hardener) Temperature (mm) (mm) (mm)
(C)
Room Temp 50.38 48.16 2.35
Room Temp
50 C 47.99 47.23 1.92
20/6.4
Room Temp 49.43 46.81 6.90
120 C
50 C 48.52 46.38 7.23
Room Temp 51.88 47.63 2.34
Room Temp
50 C 54.35 49.77 2.11
20/10
Room Temp 48.22 47.23 8.89
120 C
50 C 50.06 47.23 6.82

Table 4.2 Measured Sample Weight for a Period of 4 Days

Curing Water bath Day 0 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Ratio
Temperature Temperature
(Epoxy/Hardener) W0 (g) W1 (g) W2 (g) W3 (g)
(oC) (oC)
25 4.99 5.00 5.04 5.06
25
50 4.67 4.74 4.79 4.81
20/6.4
25 6.06 6.37 6.61 6.70
120
50 6.56 7.55 7.62 7.71
25 6.10 6.12 6.14 6.15
25
50 6.40 6.49 6.56 6.71
20/10
25 5.23 6.17 6.32 6.49
120
50 4.41 5.50 5.77 5.84

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 Table 4.3 Percentage of Water Absorbed

Ratio Cure Temperature of Length Width Thickness

(Epoxy/Hardener) Temperature Water Bath (C) (mm) (mm) (mm)
Room Temp 50.38 48.16 2.35
Room Temp
50 C 47.99 47.23 1.92
20/6.4
Room Temp 49.43 46.81 6.90
120 C
50 C 48.52 46.38 7.23
Room Temp 51.88 47.63 2.34
Room Temp
50 C 54.35 49.77 2.11
20/10
Room Temp 48.22 47.23 8.89
120 C
50 C 50.06 47.23 6.82

4.2 Discussions

1. Write down your observation. Explain how the curing temperature may affect the
water absorption of epoxy resin.
Theoretically, increase in curing temperature should decrease water absorption due to higher
degree of crosslinking and reduced free volume. However, that is not the case as observed
in the results for this experiment as shown in Table 2. This could be due to the irregular
shapes of the samples tested. The samples cured at 120oC are significantly thicker than the
samples cured at room temperature. The irregular shapes could be caused by the rapid curing
reaction at high temperature with the presence of glass fiber that might affect crosslink
formation. Also, it may be that the supposed optimum curing temperature of this epoxy resin
is lower than 120C which means that the epoxy resin might undergo decomposition which
lowers its density.

2. Explain how the arrangement of fiber can affect the modulus and strength of
composite materials.
The arrangement or orientation of the fibers relative to one another has a significant
influence on the strength and modulus of fiber-reinforced composites. In terms of
arrangement, two extremes are possible which are a parallel alignment of the longitudinal
axis of the fibers in a single direction and a totally random alignment. Continuous fibers are
normally aligned whereas discontinuous fibers may be aligned, randomly oriented or

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 partially oriented. Uniform fiber distribution contributes to better overall composite
properties. The modulus and strength of the fiber increases when the fibers are arranged
unidirectionally (Callister, 2007). Moreover, the reinforcement efficiency is higher for the
continuous fibers than discontinuous fibers. However, the strength of the composites also
depends on the direction of the applied stress. For unidirectional fibers, maximum strength
is achieved when the stress is applied longitudinal to the fiber directions as it is dominated
by fiber strength (Callister, 2007). Callister (2007) mentioned that the voids between fiber
strands are the weakening factor of the composites. In the case of non-uniform or randomly-
arranged fibers (discontinuous fibers), there is a more significant improvement in
reinforcement strength when forces are applied at any direction relative to the plane of the
fibers attributed to their randomly distributed fiber strands (Callister, 2007).

3. Explain how the curing temperature may affect the water absorption and other
mechanical properties.
As curing temperature increases, the molecules are highly mobilized due to increased kinetic
energy, thus crosslinking density increases. When there are more crosslinks, there are more
steric hindrances that reduce accessibility of absorption site (Aronhime, Peng, Gillham, &
Small, 1986). In terms of mechanical properties, as cure temperature increases but below
Tcure at which Tg is obtained, strength and stiffness increases as there is more crosslinks
and thus the free volume decreases. However, if the cure temperature increases above Tcure
at which Tg is obtained, the strength and stiffness decreases due to thermal degradation or
oxidative crosslinking (Carbas, Marques, da Silva, & Lopes, 2014).

4. Using the literature values, obtain the density and modulus for DGEBA epoxy resin
and fiber glass (E-Glass). Calculate the theoretical modulus of your composite sample.
(using the known volume, and known density of epoxy, calculate the theoretical weight
of epoxy without fibers.)
Table 4.4: Density and modulus for epoxy and fiber glass
Properties Density Youngs Modulus, E Reference
Compound (g/cm3) (GPa)
Maiorana, Spinella, &
DGEBA Epoxy 1.13 1.26
Gross (2015)
Fiber glass 2.55 80 AZo Materials (2001)

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 Given Volume of Composite = 5 cm x 5 cm x 0.3 cm = 7.5 cm3

For epoxy/hardener ratio of 20/6.4,

= 20 + 6.4 = 26.4

26.4
= 4 = 5.84 3
1.13 /3

5.84 3
, = = 0.78
7.5 3

Using rule of mixtures approach,

= + (1 )
= (0.78)(1.26 ) + (1 0.78)(80 )
= .

For epoxy/hardener ratio of 20/10,

= 20 + 10 = 30
30
= 4 = 6.64 3
1.13 /3
6.64 3
, = = 0.89
7.5 3

Using rule of mixtures approach,

= + (1 )
= (0.89)(1.26 ) + (1 0.89)(80 )
= .

5. What are the advantages of using thermoset as matrix as compared to thermoplastic?

Thermoset has better thermal and chemical resistance properties than thermoplastic. Also,
thermoset has higher flexural and tensile strength due to the crosslinking within thermosets
structure. Thermoset maintains strength and other physical properties even if it is exposed
to extreme temperatures for a long period.

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6. Which one is more suitable for making aircraft body, epoxy/glass or epoxy/carbon
fibers? Explain your answer.
Epoxy/carbon fibers is more suitable for making aircraft than epoxy/glass due to its
superiority in terms of stiffness and lightness, which are desired properties for
manufacturing aircraft body (Gardner Business Media, Inc., 2014). Carbon fibers also have
better tensile strength and compressive strength compared to glass.

7. Give ONE application of composite material based on glass, carbon and aramid fibers.
Explain your answer.
Fiber glass is widely used in transportation industries for instance manufacturing automotive
and marine bodies, plastic pipes and storage containers. Carbon-reinforced polymer
composites are currently being utilized in sports and recreational equipment such as fishing
rods and golf equipment. Aramid fiber composites are widely used in ballistic products for
instance bullet-proof vests and armor.

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CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION

In theory, increase in curing temperatures should decrease water absorption due to increase in
the degree of crosslinking and reduction of free volume but the experimental results
contradicted the theory. This discrepancy is possibly caused by the irregular shapes of cured
epoxy resulted from the rapid curing reaction at high temperature with the presence of glass
fiber that might affect crosslink formation. Also, it may be that the supposed optimum curing
temperature of this epoxy resin is lower than 120C which means that the epoxy resin might
undergo decomposition which lowers its overall density. The theoretical Youngs modulus of
the composite was determined using rule of mixtures which resulted in the values of 18.58 GPa
and 9.92 GPa for both epoxy/amine ratios of 20/6.4 and 20/10 respectively.

REFERENCES

Aronhime, M. T., Peng, X., Gillham, J. K., & Small, R. D. (1986). Effect of time-temperature
path of cure on the water absorption of high Tg epoxy resins. Journal of Applied
Polymer Science, 32(2), 3589-3626. doi:10.1002/app.1986.070320218

American Composites Manufacturers Association. (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2017 from
http://compositeslab.com/composites-101/what-are-composites/

AZo Materials. (2001). E-Glass Fibre. Retrieved June 29, 2017 from
http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=764

Callister, W. D. (2007). Materials Science And Engineering: An Introduction: John Wiley &
Sons.

Carbas, R. J. C., Marques, E. A. S., da Silva, L. F. M., & Lopes, A. M. (2014). Effect of Cure
Temperature on the Glass Transition Temperature and Mechanical Properties of
Epoxy Adhesives. The Journal of Adhesion, 90(1), 104-119.
doi:10.1080/00218464.2013.779559

Chawla, K. K. (1973). On the Applicability of the "Rule-of-Mixtures" to the Strength

Properties of Metal-Matrix Composites. Revista Brasileira de Fsica, 4 (3), 411-418.

Gardner Business Media, Inc. (2014). The fiber. Retrieved June 23, 2017 from
http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/the-fiber

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Jyoung. (n.d.). Carbon Fiber vs Fiberglass. Retrieved June 23, 2017 from
http://blog.fibreglast.com/fiberglass/carbon-fiber-vs-fiberglass/

Maiorana, A., Spinella, S., & Gross, R. A. (2015). Bio-Based Alternative to the Diglycidyl
Ether of Bisphenol A with Controlled Materials Properties. Biomacromolecules,
16(3), 1021-1031. doi:10.1021/acs.biomac.5b00014

University of Cambridge. (n.d.). Derivation of the rule of mixtures and inverse rule of
mixtures. Retrieved June 23, 2017 from
https://www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/bones/derivation_mixture_rules.php

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