Lecture 04

Composites: properties

Dr. J. Ramkumar
Professor
Dept of Mechanical & Design Program
IIT Kanpur, India.
Contents
Geometrical and spatial characteristics
Volume fraction calculations
Elastic behavior under longitudinal loading
Elastic behavior under transverse loading
Longitudinal tensile strength
Transverse tensile strength
Properties of Composites
The properties of a composite are a function of the properties of
constituent phases and their relative proportions, size, shape,
distribution, and orientation of the dispersed phase.
Geometrical and spatial characteristics
of reinforcements in composites
(a) concentration,
(b) size,
(c) shape,
(d) distribution
(e) orientation.

Balasubramanian, M., 2013. Composite materials and processing. CRC press.

A model for quantifying properties
A model for quantifying properties
A model for quantifying properties
A model for quantifying properties
Stress-strain behavior of fiber, matrix,
and composite.

Callister, W.D. Jr., Materials Science and Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, New
York, 2007, p. 549.
Elastic Behavior under longitudinal
loading
Elastic Behavior under longitudinal
loading
Elastic Behavior under longitudinal
loading
Elastic Behavior under Transverse
Loading
Elastic Behavior under Transverse
Loading
Longitudinal Tensile Strength
When the failure strain of matrix is higher than that of fibers
(which is the usual case), then fibers will fail before the matrix.
Only above a certain volume fraction of fibers will the composite
strength be higher than the matrix strength.

The ultimate strength of composite, according to the rule of

mixture fiber volume fraction is called critical fiber volume fraction.

where
Sc is the ultimate strength of composite
sfu is the ultimate strength of fiber
Vf is the volume fraction of fiber
sm* is the matrix stress at the fiber fracture strain f
Longitudinal Tensile Strength
The composite will not fail if the fiber
content is lower than certain minimum
(Vmin).
Longitudinal Tensile Strength
Longitudinal Tensile Strength
Longitudinal Tensile Strength
Tensile strength of unidirectional composite as a function of fiber
volume fraction

Balasubramanian, M., 2013. Composite materials and processing. CRC press.

Transverse Tensile Strength
The strength of a continuous and unidirectional fibrous composite
is highly anisotropic and it is normally designed to take the load in
the fiber direction.
During service, transverse tensile loads may also be encountered.
This may lead to premature failure, since the transverse strength of
a unidirectional fiber composite is extremely low, sometimes lower
than the tensile strength of the matrix.
In this case the reinforcing effect of the fibers is negative.
Discontinuous Fiber-Reinforced
Composites
The reinforcement effect is lower for the discontinuous fibers than
the continuous fibers.
These short fiber composites can have moduli of elasticity and
tensile strengths that approach 90% and 50%, respectively, of their
continuous fiber counterparts.
Advantages in using short fibers as the reinforcement in
composites, such as easy fabrication and isotropic properties.
Assignment 4

You will have to submit the answers for the

Multiple choice questions which will graded.