Composite Materials

SHARAD VALVI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
SardarPatel College of Engineering Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
MunshiNagar,Andheri(w),Mumbai -400058
Evolution of Materials
Use of Modern (Polymer) Composites:
During World War II –
Military application
Non-metallic shielding of Radomes
(to house electronic radar equipments) Glass
Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GFRP)
The first application of wood - composite laminates in - Havilland
Mosquito Fighter/Bomber of British Royal Air-Force
Evolution of Materials
Use of Modern (Polymer) Composites:
During World War II –
Attack on Pearl Harbour by Japanese
Torpedo bomber

Sopwith Cuckoo Fairey Swordfish

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_bomber
INTRODUCTION

• A composite material can be defined as a combination of two or

more materials (having significantly different physical or
chemical properties) that results in better properties than those of
the individual components.
• The constituents retain their identities in the composite; that is,
they do not dissolve or otherwise merge completely into each
other, although they act in concert.
• Composites are one of the most widely used materials because of
their adaptability to different situations and the relative ease of
combination with other materials to serve specific purposes and
exhibit desirable properties.
• The main advantages of composite materials are their high
strength and stiffness, combined with low density, when
compared with bulk materials.
What are “composites”?
• Composite: Two or more chemicallydifferent
constituents combined macroscopically to yield a
useful material.

• Examples of naturally occurring composites

– Wood: Cellulose fibers bound by lignin matrix
– Bone: Stiff mineral “fibers” in a soft organic matrix
permeated with holes filled with liquids
– Granite: Granular composite of quartz,feldspar, and
mica
 Fig: Cross section of composite material

Fig: Cross section of alloy material

Composite:
Constituents
What are the constituents in a composite material?

1. Reinforcement:
discontinuous
stronger harder

2. Matrix:
Continuous

What are the functions of a reinforcement?

1. Contribute desired properties
2. Load carrying
3. Transfer the strength to matrix
Composite:
Constituents

What are the functions of a matrix?

1. Holds the fibres together

2. Protects the fibres from environment
3. Protects the fibres from abrasion (with each other)
4. Helps to maintain the distribution of fibres
5. Distributes the loads evenly between fibres
6. Enhances some of the properties of the resulting material and structural
component (that fibre alone is not able to impart). These properties are such as:
transverse strength of a lamina
Impact resistance
7. Provides better finish to final product
Classification of Composites
Based on the type of matrix material
ORGANIC/POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITE (PMCs)
Two main kinds of polymers are thermosets and thermoplastics

• Thermosets have qualities such as a well-bonded three dimensional

molecular structure after curing. They decompose instead of melting
on hardening.
• Thermoplastics have one or two dimensional molecular structure and
they tend to at an elevated temperature and show exaggerated melting
point. Another advantage is that the process of softening at elevated
temperatures can reversed to regain its properties during cooling.
 METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE (MMCs)
 Metal matrix composites are High strength, fracture toughness and
stiffness are offered by metal matrices than those offered by their
polymer counterparts. They can withstand elevated temperature in
corrosive environment than polymer composites.
 MMCs are widely used in engineering applications where the
operating temperature lies in between 250 ºC to 750 ºC.
 Matrix materials: Steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Copper, Magnesium
and Super alloys.
CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE (CMCs)
 Ceramics can be described as solid materials which exhibit very
strong ionic bonding in general and in few cases covalent bonding.
High melting points, good corrosion resistance, stability at elevated
temperatures and high compressive strength
 CMCs are widely used in engineering applications where the
operating temperature lies in between 800ºC to 1650ºC
 CARBON/CARBON MATRIX COMPOSITE
 C/Cs are developed specifically for parts that must operate in extreme
temperature ranges. Composed of a carbon matrix reinforced with
carbon yarn fabric, 3-D woven fabric, 3-D braiding, etc.
 C/C composites meet applications ranging from rockets to aerospace
because of their ability to maintain and even increase their structural
properties at extreme temperatures.

Advantages:
• Extremely high temperature resistance (1930°C – 2760°C).
• Strength actually increases at higher temperatures (up to 1930°C).
• High strength and stiffness.
• Good resistance to thermal shock.
 Classification of Composites
Based on the form of reinforcement

• Fibre - a filament with L/D very high (of the order 1000)
• A composite with fibre-reinforcement is called Fibrous Composite

• Particle – non fibrous with no long dimension

• A composite with particles as reinforcement is called Particulate Composite

• Whiskers – nearly perfect single crystal fibre

• Short, discontinuous, polygonal cross-section

• Flake composites consist of flat reinforcements of matrices.

• Typical flake materials are glass, mica, aluminum, and silver.
Classification of Composites
Based on the
form of reinforcement

Interest of this course !

Classification of Composites
Based on the form of reinforcement
What are composites ?
• Some examples of man‐madecomposites
– Concrete: Particulate composite of aggregates
(limestone or granite), sand, cement andwater
– Plywood: Several layers of wood veneer glued
together
– Fiberglass: Plastic matrix reinforced by glass fibers
– Fibrous composites: Variety of fibers (glass,kevlar,
graphite, nylon, etc.) bound together by a
polymeric matrix
These are not composites!
• Plastics: Even though they may haveseveral
“fillers”, their presence does not alter the
physical properties significantly.
• Alloys: Here the alloy is not macroscopically
heterogeneous, especially in terms of
physical properties.
• Metals with impurities: The presence of
impurities does not significantly alter
physical properties of the metal.
 Classification of Composites
Engineered
Composites

Particulate Fibrous

Random Preferred
Orientation Orientation Single Layer Multi‐Layer

Continuous & Discontinuous & Hybrid

Long Fibers ShortFibers Laminate Laminate

Random Preferred
Unidirectional Bi‐Directional Orientation Orientation
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPOSITE
MATERIALS
Particulate Composites
1 Random Orientation 2 Preferred Orientation
Particles are randomly distributed in Particles are aligned in specific
the binding matrix, as seen in directions, as in extruded plastics
concrete. with reinforcement particles.
 Particulate Reinforced Composites
Microstructure Particle Shapes Distinguishing Features
Particulate composites Reinforcement particles Particulate composites
have particles of one can have square, are distinguished from
material dispersed in a triangular, or round dispersion-hardened
matrix of another shapes, with more or materials by the size
material. less equal dimensions. and volume
concentration of the
dispersed particles.
Fiber Reinforced Composites
1 Fiber Properties
Materials tend to have much better thermo-
mechanical properties at the micro-scale (fiber)
than at the macro-scale (bulk).

2 Imperfections
Imperfections in bulk materials significantly
degrade their mechanical properties, which
is why fiber reinforcement is used.

3 Fiber Advantages
Fibers have almost no flaws perpendicular to
their length, allowing them to bear large
loads per unit area compared to bulk
materials.
Fiber Reinforced Composites
Random Fiber (Short Fiber) Continuous Fiber (Long Fiber)
These composites have fibers randomly These composites have fibers aligned and
oriented within the matrix. continuous throughout the matrix.
Fibrous Composites

Single-Layer Multi-Layer
These are made of These have
several layers of reinforcement
fibers oriented in provided layer-by-
the same direction, layer in different
including directions,
unidirectional and including laminates
bidirectional and hybrid
reinforcement. laminates.
Laminar Composites

Laminar Composites Sandwich Composites

These are made of layers of different These are a type of laminar
materials bonded together, with the composite with a core material
constituent materials occurring sandwiched between two outer
alternately or in a determined order. layers.
Flake Composites
1 Flake Structure 2 Flake Properties
Flakes can be Metal flakes in
used instead of contact can
fibers as they can conduct
be more densely electricity or heat,
packed in the while mica and
matrix. glass flakes can
provide
insulation.

3
Cost Advantages
Flakes are generally less expensive to
produce compared to fibers.
Filled Composites
Filler Types Filler Roles
Fillers can have Fillers can be the
irregular structures main ingredient or
or precise an additional
geometric shapes component in a
like polyhedrons, composite,
short fibers, or modifying its
spheres. properties.
 Classification of Composites
• Fibrous Composites: In general, materials tend to have much better
thermo‐ mechanical properties at small scale than at macro‐scale. This
is shown in the following table.

Material Fiber Tensile Strength (GPa) Bulk Tensile strength(

GPa)
Glass 3.5 to 4.6 0.7 ‐ 2.1
Tungsten 4.2 1.1 ‐ 4.1
Beryllium 1.3 0.7
Graphite 2.1 to 2.2.5 Very low
 At macro‐scale, imperfections in material have an accumulated effect of degrading bulk
mechanical properties of materials significantly.

 This is one reason why fibrous composites have been developed to harness micro‐scale
properties of materials at larger scales.

 Man‐made fibers, have almost no flaws in directions perpendicular to their length. Hence they are
able to bear large loads per unit area compared to bulk materials.
Classification of Composites

• Fibrous Composites:
– Single‐layer: These are actually made of several layers
of fibers, all oriented in the same direction. Hence they
are considered as “single‐layer” composites. These can
be further categorizedas:
• Continuous and long fibers: Examples include filament wound
shells. These may be further classified as:
– Unidirectional reinforcement
– Bidirectional reinforcement
Classification of Composites

• Fibrous Composites (continued):

• Discontinuous and short‐fibers: Examples include
fiber glass bodies of cars. These may be further
classified as:
– Randomly oriented reinforcement
– Reinforced in preferred directions
– Multi‐layer: Here, reinforcement is provided,
layer‐ by layer in differentdirections.
• Laminate: Here, the constituent material inall layers
is the same.
• Hybrid laminates: These have more than one
constituent materials in the compositestructure.
Advantages of Composites
• Composites are engineered materials. We can engineer them
specifically to meet our needs on a case‐to‐case basis. In
general, following properties can be improved by using
composite materials.

– Strength Electrical conductivity

– Modulus Thermal conductivity
– Weight Behavior at extreme temps.
– Fatigue Acoustical insulation
– Vibration damping Aesthetics
– Resistance to wear Resistance to corrosion
 Limitations of Composites
• Like all things in nature, composites materials have theirlimitationsas well.Some of the
importantones are:

– Anisotropy:Alarge number of composites have direction dependent material

properties. This makes them more difficult to understand, analyze and engineer,
vis‐à‐vis isotropic materials.
– Non‐homogenous: Further, these materials bydefinition are not homogenous.
Hence their material properties vary from point‐to‐point.This factor as well makes
them difficult to model, andanalyze.
Limitations of Composites
– Costly: Composite materials are in general expensive.Thus, they are used
only in applications where their benefits outweigh their costs.

– Difficult to fabricate: Further, fabricating structures from such

materials is difficult, time taking, and expensive.

– Sensitivity to temperature: Laminated composites are particularly

sensitive to temperature changes. They come in with residual thermal
stresses, because they get fabricated at high temperatures, and then cooled.
Such a process locks in thermal stresses into the structure.

– Moisture effects: Laminated composites are also sensitive to moisture,

and their performance varies significantly when exposed to moisture for
long periods of time.
 Fibers and Whiskers
• The following table lists bulk as well as fiber properties for
different materials. It is seen from the table that the
difference between bulk and fiber strengths is significant.
Table 2.1: Properties of Some Common Engineering Materials in Bulk and Fiber Forms
Young's Modulus Bulk Tensile Strength Fiber Tensile
Fiber Specific Gravity (GPa) (MPa) Strength (MPa)

Aluminium 2.7 78 140‐620 620

Titanium alloy/fiber 4.5 115 1040 1900

Steel 7.8 210 340‐212 4100

E‐Glass 2.54 72 70‐210 3500

S‐Glass 2.48 86 70‐210 4600

Carbon 1.41 190 very low 2100‐2500

 Whiskers
• The following table lists bulk as well as whisker properties for
different materials. It is seen from the table that the difference
between bulk and whisker strengths is very significant.
Table 2.2: Properties of Some Common Engineering Materials
in Bulk and Whisker Forms
Bulk Tensile Strength Whisker Tensile

Fiber (MPa) Strength (MPa)

Alumina (Al2O3) 105‐107 19000

Silicon Carbide 3440 11000
Copper 220 3000
Iron whisker v/s bulksteel 525‐700 13000

Boron carbide 155 6700

Carbon very low 21000

• Modern composites derive much of their desired properties by

using fibers and whiskers as one of the constituent materials.

• Fibers made from carbon, E‐glass, S‐glass, and Kevlar are commonly
used in modern compositestructures.
Applications of Fibrous Composites
•Aerospace/Military:

• Civil:

• Electronic:

• Energy:

• Automobile/Transportation:

• Sports:

• Medical:

• Marine:
•……………………………………………
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Aerospace: Use of composites in LCATejas
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Aerospace: Use of composites in LCH
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Aerospace: Use of composites in LCH
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Aerospace: Helicopter Blade
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Automobile/Transportation:
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Sports:
 Applications of Fibrous Composites
Wind Energy:
 Applications of Fibrous Composites
Medical:
 Applications of Fibrous Composites
Civil/Infrastructure:
Applications of Fibrous Composites
Marine:
water lubricated propeller shaft bearings
Disadvantages of Composite Materials

1. High cost of raw materials and fabrication.

2. Composites are brittle and thus are more easily damagable.
3. Transverse properties may be weak.
4. Matrix is weak, therefore, low toughness.
5. Reuse and disposal may be difficult.
6. Health hazards during manufacturing , during and after use.
7. Joining to parts is difficult
8. Repair introduces new problems, for the following reasons:
•Materials require refrigerated transport and storage and have
limited shelf life.
• Hot curing is necessary in many cases requiring special tooling.
• Curing takes time.
9. Analysis is difficult.
10. Matrix is subject to environmental degradation