COMPOSITE

MATERIALS
Materials Technology
Andrea Guevara Morales

Composite Materials: Modern Ski

Composite Materials
Multiphase material that is artificially made
The constituent phases must be chemically dissimilar and

separated by a distinct interface

Most composites have been created to improve
combinations of mechanical characteristics such as
stiffness, toughness, and ambient and high-temperature
strength
Many are composed of just two phases:
Matrix

Dispersed phase: Filler/reinforcement

Classification of composite materials

Geometrical and spatial characteristics of particles

PARTICLE-REINFORCED
COMPOSITES

Particle-Reinforced Composites
Large-particle Composites
Particle matrix interactions cannot be treated on the atomic or
molecular level
For most of these composites, the particulate phase is harder and
stiffer than the matrix phase
In essence, the matrix transfers some of the applied stress to the
particles, which bear a fraction of the load
The degree of reinforcement or improvement of mechanical
behavior depends on strong bonding at the matrix-particle interface

Rule of mixtures (Large-particles)

Upper bound

Lower bound

Particle-Reinforced Composites (Large-particles)

Large-particle composites are utilized with all three

material types
Metals

Polymers
Ceramics

Cermets: ceramic-metal composites

Composed of extremely hard particles of a refractory ceramic,
embedded in a matrix of a metals such as cobalt or nickel
Used in cutting tools: hard articles provide the cutting surface, but
being extremely brittle are not themselves capable of withstanding
the cutting stresses Metal matrix

Particle-Reinforced Composites (Large-particles)

Photomicrograph of a WC-Co
cemented carbide
Light areas are the cobalt matrix
Dark regions the particles of
tungsten carbide

Particle-Reinforced Composites (Large-particles)

Concrete
Common large-particle composite
Both matrix and dispersed phases are ceramic materials
Concrete implies a composite material consisting of an aggregate

of particles that are bound together in a solid body by some type of

binding medium, that is, cement
Portland cement concrete: Portland cement, a fine aggregate

(sand), a coarse aggregate (gravel), and water

Reinforced concrete: steel rods, wires, bards o mesh embedded
into the fresh and uncured concrete
Pre-stressed concrete

Particle-Reinforced Composites
Dispersion-strengthened Composites
Particles are normally much smaller, with diameters between 0.01
and 0.1 m
Particle-matrix interactions occur on the atomic molecular level
Whereas the matrix bears the major portion of an applied load, the
small dispersed particles hinder or impede the motion of
dislocations*
Plastic deformation is restricted such that yield and tensile
strengths, as well as hardness, improve

FIBER-REINFORCED
COMPOSITES

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Technologically, the most important composites are those

in which the dispersed phase is in the form of a fiber

Design goals:
High strength
High stiffness
Both on a weight basis: specific strength and specific modulus

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Influence of fiber length

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Influence of fiber length

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Influence of fiber orientation
Orientation:
Parallel alignment
Continuous or discontinuous fibers

Random alignment
Discontinuous fibers

Better overall composite properties are realized when the

fiber orientation distribution is uniform

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Schematic stress-strain curve for an aligned fiber-

reinforced composite
(stress applied in the direction of alignment)

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Influence of fiber orientation

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Influence of fiber orientation

Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Influence of fiber concentration

Characteristics of several fiber-reinforcement materials

POLYMER-MATRIX
COMPOSITES

Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs)

Consist of a polymer resin as the matrix, with fibers as the

reinforcement medium
The term resin is used in this context to denote a high-

molecular-weight reinforcement plastics

Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites

GFRP is simply a composite consisting of glass fibers, either

continuous or discontinuous, contained within a polymer matrix

This type of composite is produced in the largest quantities

Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites

Fiber diameters normally range between 3 and 20 m
Glass is popular as a fiber-reinforcement material for

several reasons
It is easily drawn into high-strength fibers from the molten state
It is readily available and may be fabricated into a glass-reinforced

plastic economically
As a fiber is relatively strong, and when embedded in a plastic
matrix, it produced a composite having a very high specific strength
When coupled with various plastics, it possesses a chemical
inertness that renders the composites useful in a variety of
corrosive environments

Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites

Limitations
Surface characteristics of glass fibers are extremely important
Even minute surface flaws can deleteriously affect the tensile properties

Surface flaws are easily introduced be rubbing the surface with another

hard material
Also, glass surfaces that have been exposed to the normal

atmosphere for even short time periods generally have a weakened

surface layer that interferes with bonding to the matrix
Newly drawn fibers are normally coated during drawing with a thin layer

of a substance that protects the fiber surface

This is then removed prior to composite fabrication and replaced with a
coupling agent of finish that produces a chemical bond between the
fiber and the matrix

Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites

Limitations
GFRP are not very stiff and do not display the rigidity that is
necessary for some applications (structural members for airplanes
and bridges)
Most GFRP are limited to service temperatures below 200C; at
higher temperatures most polymer begin to flow or deteriorate
Temperatures may be extended to 300C by suing hightemperature polymers such as polyimides and high-purity fused
silica for the fibers

Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites

TECHNICAL NOTES
Glass offers high strength at low cost
Carbon has very high strength, stiffness and low density
Kevlar has high strength and low density, is flame retardant and

transparent to radio waves (unlike carbon).

Polyesters are the most widely used matrices as they offer

reasonable properties at relatively low cost.

The superior properties of epoxies and the temperature performance
of polyimides can justify their use in certain applications, but they are
expensive.
The strength of a composite is increased by raising the fiber-resin
ratio, and orienting the fibers parallel to the loading direction.
The longer the fibers, the more efficient is the reinforcement at
carrying the applied loads, but shorter fibers are easier to process
and hence cheaper.
Environmental conditions affect the performance of composites:
fatigue loading, moisture and heat all reduce allowable strength.

Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites

Typical uses:
Sports equipment such as skis, racquets, skate boards and golf club
shafts, ship and boat hulls; body shells; automobile components;
cladding and fittings in construction; chemical plant.

Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites

Carbon is a high-performance fiber material that is the

most commonly used reinforcement in advanced polymermatrix composites

The reasons are
Carbon fibers have the highest specific modulus and strength

of all reinforcement fiber materials

They retain their modulus and strength at elevated temperatures
(oxidation at high temperatures may be a problem though)
At room temperature is not affected by moisture or a wide variety of
solvents, acids and bases
They exhibit a diversity of physical and mechanical
characteristics
Manufacturing processes have been developed that are relatively
inexpensive and cost effective

Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites

Typical uses:
Lightweight structural members in aerospace, ground transport and
sports equipment such as golf clubs, oars, boats and racquets;
springs; pressure vessels.

METAL-MATRIX
COMPOSITES

Metal-Matrix Composites (MMCs)

As the name implies, for MMCs the matrix is a ductile

metal
These materials may be used at higher service
temperatures than their base metal counterparts
Reinforcement may improve specific stiffness, specific
strength, abrasion resistance, creep resistance, thermal
conductivity, and dimensional stability
Advantages over PMCs: higher operating temperatures,

nonflammability, greater resistance to degradation by

organic fluids
Disadvantages: they are much more expensive

Metal-Matrix Composites (MMCs)

Matrix: superalloys as well as alloys of aluminum,

magnesium, titanium and copper

Reinforcement: particulates, c/dc fibers, whiskers
Carbon, silicon carbide, boron, aluminum oxide, refractory metals
Silicon carbon whiskers, chopped fibers of aluminum and carbon,

particulates of aluminum oxide

Concentration: 10-60 vol%

Metal-Matrix Composites (MMCs)

Applications
Automobile manufactures have recently begun to use MMCs in
their products
Engine components consisting of an aluminum alloy matrix reinforced

with aluminum oxide and carbon fibers

Light in weight and resists wear and thermal distortion
Aerospace industry
Structural applications include advanced aluminum alloy metal-matrix

composites
Boron fibers are used as the reinforcement for the Space Shuttle Orbiter
Graphite fibers are used for the Hubble Telescope

CERAMIC-MATRIX
COMPOSITES

Ceramic-Matrix Composites (CMMs)

Ceramic materials are inherently resilient to oxidation and

deterioration at elevated temperatures

Were it not for their disposition to brittle fracture, some of
these materials would be ideal candidates for use in hightemperature and severe-stress applications
Automobile and aircraft turbine engines

Toughness values of ceramics 1-5 MPam1/2

Toughness values of metals 15-150 MPam1/2

The fracture toughness of ceramics have been improved

significantly by the development of a new generation of

ceramic-matrix composites

Ceramic-Matrix Composites (CMCs)

Particulates, fibers or whiskers of one ceramic material

that have been embedded into a matrix of another

ceramic
Fracture toughness 6-20 MPam1/2

This improvement in the fracture properties results from

interactions between advancing cracks and dispersed

phase particles
Crack initiation normally occurs with the matrix phase,
whereas crack propagations is impeded or hindered by
the particles, fibers or whiskers

Ceramic-Matrix Composites (CMCs)

Transformation toughening

Deflecting crack tips, forming bridges across crack faces,

absorbing energy during pull-out, causing a redistribution

of stresses in regions adjacent to the crack tips

STRUCTURAL
COMPOSITES

Structural Composites

REVIEW
Taken from IIMEC Summer School in Advanced
Composite Materials
Alkis Paipeitis

References
Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction
William. D. Callister Jr.