Introduction to

Composite Materials
By

Bishwaraj Bhattarai
Institute Roll No 10/ME/134 Bishwaraj.Bhattarai@Outlook.com Setobaadal@Gmail.com

Table of Contents
#. WHY STUDY COMPOSITE MATERIALS ? 1. Inception and History
General Overview, Natural Occurrence and Anthropogenic History Technical Definition Composition Based on Matrix Phase Based on Reinforcements Rule of Mixture and Loading Orientation Estimation of Various Properties

2. Introduction 3. Classification

4. Mechanical Characterization
5. Advantages of Composite Materials 6. Disadvantages of Composite Materials 7. Conclusion

Why Study Composite Materials ???

Lets take a closer look at our lives.

Why Study contd.

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Composites make a great proportion of most of the materials we use in our daily lives The use is ever increasing which makes it a must to understand and explore these materials
THATS WHY .

1. Inception and History of Composite Materials Composite Material

= Combination of two materials

Natural Occurrences
1. Trees = Cellulose Fibers + Lignin (natural Polymer) 2. Muscles 3. Bones 4. Silky thread made by spider

Anthropogenic History
Wood is the oldest known composite used by human beings Straw Bricks as construction material, ~ 10000 BC ( Ashby et al) Modern development began before World War II with requirement of strong but light material Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic was the first commercial Composite used in Havilland Mosquito Bomber aircraft of Royal British Navy force

2. Introduction to Composite Materials

Definition
Combination of 2 different materials at macroscopic level Identity of each component is retained Composites Vs. Alloys

Basic Composition
Composite = Ground Substance (Matrix Phase) + Reinforcements (Mostly Fibers) Various combinations of Matrix and Reinforcing Materials can be used as per the requirement of various properties and the uses Various types based on various matrix and reinforcement materials

Fig 1: Basic Components of a Composite

A. Based on Matrix Phase: Polymer/Metal/Ceramic

1. Polymer Matrix Composite, PMC

3. Classification of Composite Materials

Matrix is made from a Polymer like Resins The first commercial composite, Glass Fiber, was a PMC made with Phenolic Resin May be a. Thermosetting ~ Epoxy Resin OR Light Weight b. Thermoplastic ~ Polycarbonate, PVC, Nylon, Polystyrene Easy Processing Excellent Mechanical Properties
Extensive use in Automobile and Aeronautical Industries 2. Metal Matrix Composite, MMC Use metals like Aluminum, Magnesium, Iron, Cobalt etc. as matrix phase Provide additional Strength, Fracture Toughness and Stiffness than PMC Popular in Mobile Phone industries

3.A Classification/Matrix Phase contd.

3. Ceramic Matrix Composite, CMC

Use Ceramic materials as the matrix phase and reinforce with short fibers derived from Silicon Carbide, Boron Nitride, etc. High Melting Point Stability at elevated temperature ( ~ 1500 oC ) Corrosion Resistant High Compressive Strength X However they are quite brittle compared to PMCs Favorite choice for working in high temperature environment

B. Classification Based on Reinforcement Materials:

Fibers/Particulates/Flakes/Whiskers 1. Fiber Reinforcement

Fibers made from various materials are placed within the matrix phase to form a composite of desired strength/properties Fibers form the major load carrying element and are most common reinforcement

3.B Classification/By Reinforcement/Fibers . Contd.

3.B.1 Fiber Reinforcement:

Types of Fiber Reinforcement

A. Continuous/Long Fiber

Fig-2: Fiber Composite

Long, continuous and unbroken fibers are used with L/D > 100 Most common type of composite materials Fibers may be oriented unidirectional or bidirectional Better impact resistance and rigidity at elevated, sub zero temperatures Modulus retention at elevated temperature Creep resistance Dimensional stability during solidification (thermoplastics used as matrix phase) Fibers B. Short/Chopped

Chopped or small pieces of fibers are used instead of long, continuous fibers Materials L/D ratio is within 100 Common Fiber A. Carbon/Graphite C. Aramid B. Glass D. Boron

3.B.1 Classification/Based on Reinforcement/Fibers/ Common Fiber Materials. Contd.

A. Carbon/Graphite Fibers
Fibers are made from carbon/graphite material, commonly derived from Polyacrylonitrile Excellent fatigue resistance and do not undergo stress rupture like glass fibers

High electrical conductivity, due to conductive nature of Carbon, thus used for applications requiring good electrical properties

B. Glass Fiber
Glass is the most common reinforcement material for PMC Common variants are E-glass, R-glass, S-glass, D-glass, ECR-glass etc. Configuration may be Roving, Sheet Moulding, Woven Roving, Chopped Strand High Tensile Strength Mat etc. X Lower Modulus compared to other fibers Kevlar is a common aramid fiber composite Highest strength to weight ratio among all commercial composites Similar tensile strength but at least twice modulus compared to glass fibers High Toughness X Lower compression strength, poor adhesion to matrix

C. Aramid Fiber

3.B.1 Classification/By Reinforcement/Fiber/Fiber Materials .. Contd.

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D. Boron Fibers

Has been in use much before the use of Carbon fibers began High cost led to gradual reduction in their except for specific purposes
Similar tensile strength to glass fibers but very high modulus, up to 5 times higher Composite has higher stiffness

3.B.2 Particulate Reinforcement

Reinforcement in form of particles which are of order of few microns in diameter Use of particles increases modulus and decreases ductility of matrix material Load is shared by both particle and matrix, majority by particles E.g. Automobile type Carbon Black (particulate)+Rubber (matrix)

Fig 3: Particulate

3.B. Classification/By Reinforcement .Contd.

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3.B.3 Flakes
Flakes refer to small, flat (i.e. 2D geometry) layer or chips Very effective reinforcement as they impart almost equal strength in all the directions They can be packed very densely when laid parallel, that is denser than the longitudinal fibers

Fig 4: Flake Composite

Aluminum flakes are used in paints, they align themselves parallel to surface of the coating and impart good properties

3.B.4 Whiskers
Single crystal fibers; short, discontinuous and with polygonal section

Fig 5: Microscopic view of Whiskers

Fig 6: Whisker Composite

4. Mechanical Characterization : 4.1 Introduction Composites

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Estimation of mechanical properties of composite is a bit complex compared to metals as they are anisotropic and the properties vary with directions Structural analysis involves more parameters (like Stiffness/Strength Constants) than the analysis of metals. Mechanical characterization of composites is still under development, with many existing methods under debate.

4.2 Loading Orientation and Rule of Mixture A. Loading Orientation

Load may be Iso Strain : Load aligned with fibers OR Iso Stress : Load transverse to the fibers
Fig 7: (a) Iso Strain Load (b) Iso Stress

4.2 Mechanical Characterization . Contd.

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B. Rule of Mixture
Its an approach to estimate the mechanical properties of composite materials Property of composite is the volume weighed average of the properties of the constituents matrix and the dispersed phases Some of the properties may depend on loading direction and vary for Iso Strain and Iso Stress conditions, while other properties are same for both the loading conditions

4.3 Estimation of various Mechanical Properties of the Composites 1. Density dc = dm . Vm + df . Vf dc ,dm,df densities of the composite, matrix and dispersed phase respectively; Vm ,Vf volume fraction of the matrix and dispersed phase respectively.

4.3 Mechanical Characterization/Mechanical

Properties Contd.

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2. Coefficient of Thermal Expansion A. Iso-Strain/Parallel to fibers

c =( m . Em .Vm + f . Ef . Vf ) / (Em . Vm + Ef Vf )
c , m , f Coefficient of thermal expansion of composite in longitudinal direction, matrix and dispersed phase (fiber) respectively; Em , Ef Modulus of elasticity of matrix and dispersed phase (fiber) respectively.

B. Iso-Stress/Transverse to Fibers ct = (1+m) m . Vm + f . Vf m - Poissons ratio of matrix ct Coefficient of thermal expansion in transverse direction

4.3 Mechanical Properties . Contd.

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3. Modulus of Elasticity
A. Iso Strain Condition

Ec = Em . Vm + Ef . Vf
B. Iso Stress Condition

1/Ect = Vm/Em + Vf/Ef

C. Short Fibers Ecl = o . l . Vf . Ef + Vm . Em l = 1 2 / (L) . tan h(L / 2 ) =[ 8Gm / ( Ef . D2 . ln ( 2 R/ D))]1/2
Ef Gm 3D ) l (2D) L Modulus of elasticity of matrix materials Shear modulus of matrix material Length correction factor Fibers length o o - 0.0 align in transverse direction - 1/5 random orientation in any direction (

o - 3/8 random orientation in any direction o - bi- axial parallel to the fibers

4.3 Mechanical Properties Cont.

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4. Sheer Modulus
Gc = Gf . Gm / ( Vf . Gm + Vm . Gf )

Gf - shear modulus of elasticity of fiber material Gm - shear modulus of elasticity of matrix material Gc - shear modulus of elasticity of composite

5. Poissons Ratio
= Vf . f + Vm . m f - Poissons ratio of fiber materials m - Poissons ratio of matrix materials - Poissons ratio of composite

4.3. Mechanical Properties . Contd.

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6. Tensile Strength
A. Long Fiber c = m . Vm + f . Vf c , m, f - tensile strength of the composite ,matrix and dispersed phase (fiber) respectively
B. Short Fiber

c = m . Vm + f . Vf . ( 1 Lc/ 2L ) for length less then critical length, Lc c = m*Vm + L* c*Vf/d for length more than critical length L c = f * d / Tc d - diameter of fiber Tc - shear strength of the bond between the matrix and dispersed phase L - length of the fiber

5. Advantages of Composite Materials

High Strength to Weight Ratio Light Weight

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Design Flexibility, to achieve desired stiffness, strength and manufacturing requirements

Complex shapes are easily accomplished

Fire Resistance

Chemical and weathering Resistance

Resistance to fatigue damage with good damping properties Low thermal conductivity

5. Disadvantages

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High Manufacturing Cost. A typical finished composite may cost in between 10-15 times (or even more) the cost of material being used. Synthetic fibers have low melting point and thus high temperature operation is not feasible for those type of composite Repairs of composites is very difficult and complicated, unlike metal based components Sometimes, critical flaws and cracks in the composite structure may go unnoticed A field of heave research and development

6. Conclusion

Development of new types and obtaining the desired properties is the main focus Attempts are being made to reduce the manufacturing cost

THANK YOU !!!