COMPOSITE

By Rohit Tripathi
Polymers
 Macromolecules formed by the covalent
attachment of a set of small molecules termed
monomers.
 Polymers are classified as:
(1) Man-made or synthetic polymers that are
synthesized in the laboratory .Ex: Nylon, poly-
ethylene, poly-styrene etc.
(2) Biological polymer that are found in
nature. Ex: DNA, proteins, carbohydrates,
wood, rubber, cotton, silk etc.
Polymer uses
Some important terms
 Hardness
 It is the measure of how much a material resists to
penetration.
 The most well known of the hard materials is diamond.

 A typically soft material is aluminum metal, or any plastic.

Some important terms
 Ductility
 Itis a solid material's ability to deform under
tensile stress.
 This is often characterized by the material's ability
to be stretched into a wire. Ex: Al alloy, Plastic etc.
Some important terms
 Brittle or Fragile
 The tendency of a material to fracture without
first undergoing significant plastic deformation.
Ex: Glass.
Some important terms
 Toughness
 It is also defined as a material's resistance to fracture when stressed.
 A tough material requires a lot of energy to break it because the
fracture process causes a lot of plastic or ductile deformation. Ex: mild
steel.
 A brittle material may be strong but have low toughness because once a
crack has started, the material fractures easily. Ex: glass.
Some important terms

 Strong
 Able to bear large
loads, particularily
under compression
Ex: Steel beams,
concrete
Some important terms
 Stiffness
 Resistance to deformation like elongation,
bending, rotation and deflection.
 The more flexible an object is, the less stiff it
is.
 Stiff materials are usually hard ,more fragile
or brittle and less ductile.
Some important terms

 Summary
 Brittle material would be the stiffest, it could
be tungsten carbide, for example.
 The ductile material would be the toughest,
followed by the strong material and the
brittle.
 The most brittle would be the hardest,
followed by the strong, and the ductile.
Comparison of engineering materials

Metal

Polymer

Ceramic

Composite
Composite

 A composite material is made by

combining two or more materials that
have very different properties.
 It is designed to display a combination
of the best characteristics of each
material i.e. fiberglass (composite)
acquires strength from glass and
flexibility from the polymer.
Composite

 However, within the composite the

different materials are apart as they do
not dissolve or blend into each other.
 The physical properties of composites sre
generally isotropic.
 Natural composites are Wood and Bone.

 Two types of constituent materials:

- MATRIX and REINFORCEMENT

Composite
• Matrix:
• material component that surrounds the fiber.
• Usually a ductile, or tough, material with low density
• Strength usually = 1/10 (or less) than that of
reinforcement.
• Examples include: thermoplastic or thermoset.
• Serves to hold the reinforcement (filler) in a favorable
orientation.
• Reinforcement:
• Materials that are strong with low densities
• Examples include glass, carbon or particles.
Composite
Advantages

 Lower density (20 to 40%)

 High strength to weight ratio (low density high tensile
strength) 4 times greater than that of steel and
aluminium.
 Higher toughness than ceramics and glasses.
 Dimensional changes due to temp changes can be
much less.
 Corrosion resistance
Disadvantages

 Not often environmentally friendly.

 Low recyclability.

 Cost can fluctuate.

 Matrix degrades.

 Fabrication/ manufacturing difficulties

 Repair can be difficult

Classification of Composite Materials

 Based on matrix:
1. Metal matrix composite (MMC)
2. Ceramic matrix composite (CMC)
3. Polymer matrix composite (PMC)
 Based on reinforcement:
1. Particle reinforced composite
2. Fiber reinforced composite
3. Structural composite
Matrix based classification
1. Metal matrix composite(MMC)
 Metal matrix: Al, Ti, Mg, Fe, Cu, Ni
 Example: Al-SiC (silicon carbide)
 Example: Al-Al2O3 (aluminum oxide)
 The attractive feature of the metal
matrix composites is the higher
temperature use.
 The aluminum matrix composite can Transmission cable made of
be used in the temperature range MMC
upward of 300˚C while the titanium matrix composites can be
used above 800°C .
Matrix based classification

2. Ceramic matrix composites (CMC):

 The key ceramics used are silicon carbide, alumina,
silicon nitride and various cements.
 Some common examples of CMCs are:
- Continuous SiC fiber reinforced glass- ceramics
- Zirconia-toughened and SiC toughened alumina
- Carbon-Carbon composites
Matrix based classification
 Overcome the major demerits (such as brittle
failure, low toughness and limited thermal shock
resistance) of monolithic ceramics. Therefore, the
use of these materials has captured the fields
where high temperature and excellent wear and
corrosion resistance are the principal matters of
concern.
 Important applications of CMC are in jet and
automobile engines, deep sea mining and cutting
tools etc.
Matrix based classification

Rocket nozzle made of CMC

Matrix based classification

3. Polymer matrix composite(PMC)

 Reinforcement is generally glass, carbon or

kevlar (polymer)
 Matrix can be:

Thermoplastics: PE, Nylon, PS, PP, PC, PVC

Thermosets: Epoxy, polyester, phenolics
 Have high strength to weight ratio

 Used in aerospace, sporting goods, marine,

windows, doors etc
Matrix based classification
 Examples:
- fiberglass (polyester or epoxy and glass)
- Carbon-fiber–reinforced polymer or CFRP
(polyester or epoxy and carbon)
- Keflar-fiber–reinforced polymer or KFRP
(polyester or epoxy and Keflar)
Matrix based classification

Fiberglass windows
Reinforcement based classification

1. Particle reinforced composite

2. Fiber reinforced composite
3. Structural composite
 Reinforcement based classification
1. Particle reinforced composite
 Particles used for reinforcing include:
 ceramics and glasses such as small mineral
particles,
 metal particles such as aluminum,
 and amorphous materials, including polymers
and carbon black.
 Particle reinforced composites support higher
tensile and compressive stresses.
Reinforcement based classification
 Particles are also used to produce inexpensive
composites.
 It is cheap and widely available.
 Examples:
 automobile tire which has carbon black
particles in a matrix of elastomeric polymer.
 concrete where the aggregtes ( sand and
gravel) are the particles and cement is the
matrix.
Reinforcement based classification

2. Fiber reinforced composite

 Reinforcing fibers can be made of metals,
ceramics, glasses, or polymers
 Fibers are difficult to process into composites
which makes fiber-reinforced composites
relatively expensive.
 Fiber-reinforced composites are used in some
of the most advanced, and most expensive
sports equipment.
- racing bicycle
- Body parts of race cars and some
automobiles
Reinforcement based classification

 Examples:
fiberglass (polyester or epoxy
and glass)
Carbon-fiber–reinforced
polymer or CFRP
 Keflar-fiber–reinforced polymer
or KFRP
Reinforcement based classification

 Properties depends on
 Arrangement or orientation of the fibers relative to
one another
 Fiber concentration
 Fiber distribution

CFRP wheels in BMW

Reinforcement based classification

3. Structural composite
 The properties of structural composites depend
on:
a) Constituents
b) Geometrical design
 Common types are
a) Laminar
b) Sandwich Panels
Reinforcement based classification

a) Laminar
It is composed of two-dimensional
sheets or layers.
The layers are stacked and
cemented together.
One example example is
plywood.
Reinforcement based classification

b) Sandwich Panels
Itconsist of two strong outer layers which
are called face layers.
Face layer be made of aluminum alloys,
fiber reinforced plastics, titanium alloys,
steel.
Core may be a honeycomb structure which
has less density than the face layer.
Sandwich panels can be used in variety of
applications which include roofs, floors,
walls of buildings and in aircraft (for wings)
etc.
Reinforcement based classification

Multilayer plywood
formed by stacking Sandwich panel