ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Introduction to Composite
Materials
ME 423
Polymers & Polymer Composites
Dr. Conchúr Ó Brádaigh

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering,

NUI Galway

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Introduction to Composites
• Advanced composites
• what do they consist of ?
– fibres and resins
• where are they used ?
- many areas of industry
e.g. Aerospace, Marine, Automotive, Infrastructure,
Wind Energy, Biomedical
• Manufacturing processes (Lecture 2)
- Thermosets, Thermoplastics
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Composite Materials
• Combination of two or more distinct material
phases into one engineering material

• Two components:
- Matrix & Reinforcement

• Matrix - Protects Reinforcement

- Environmental Tolerance

• Reinforcement - Supports Structural Load

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Composite Materials

MATRIX + REINFORCEMENT

Polymer Carbon fibre

Metal Glass fibre
Ceramic Aramid fibre (e.g. Kevlar)
Metal fibre (e.g. Ti, Al)
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Composite Materials

Aligned Fibres
Short Fibres
“Advanced Composites”

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Carbon Fibres

Courtesy of Tenax Fibers

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Carbon Fibres
• May be manufactured from PAN or Pitch
• Lightweight
• High performance
• High strength - intermediate modulus – high modulus
• Lower modulus – intermediate strength – lower strength
• High electrical and thermal conductivity
• Dimensional stability (negative CTE in fibre direction)

• Relatively expensive
• Transversely isotropic
• Relatively brittle
• Not very damage resistant

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Aramid Fibres
• High Tensile Strength at Low Weight
• High Toughness & High Modulus
• Low Electrical Conductivity
• High Chemical Resistance
• Low Thermal Shrinkage
• Excellent Dimensional Stability
• High Cut Resistance
• Flame Resistant, Self-Extinguishing

• Tends to absorb water (hygroscopic)

• Problems in compression strength
• Poor interfacial strength with matrix
Courtesy of EI DuPont De Nemours
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Glass Fibres
• Cheap – most widely used reinforcement
• Properties vary from low to medium
• Good impact properties
• Low electrical conductivity
• Higher failure strains than carbon
• E-Glass – strength, stiffness, weathering,
electrical props.
• S-Glass – higher modulus and strength,
aircraft applics.
• C-Glass – chemical resistance

• Relatively heavy
• Prone to moisture absorption
• Can suffer surface damage Courtesy Owens Corning

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

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Material Properties
Material Modulus Strength Relative
(GPa) (MPa) Density
Steels 203 600-2000 7.8
Aluminium 75 70-80 2.6
Carbon fibre (HM) 340 2500 1.9
Carbon fibre (HS) 230 3200 1.8
Aramid fibre 124 2800 1.45
Glass fibre 76-86 1700 2.5

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Composite Matrices
Thermoset Resins
• Polyester (GRP) – cheap and widest use
• Epoxy – more expensive, better mech props
• Phenolics – fire resistance
• High temp. polyimides – v. expensive

Thermoplastic Polymers
• Polypropylene – cheapest, mainly with glass fibres
• Nylons – industrial uses – some with carbon fibres
• Polycarbonate, PET – more exotic
• PEI, PES, PPS, PEEK – v. high props, v. high cost
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Production of Composite –
PreImpregnated Tape (Prepreg)

Fibres are introduced into resin in continuous

resin impregnation process – rolled up on paper
backing – ready for component manufacturing

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Unidirectional Fabrics
Pre-impregnated
Tape (Prepreg)

+ Pressure + Heat

Aircraft
Trailing
Edge SUPreM™
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Micromechanics Combining Rules

e.g. Rule of Mixtures

E (long) = Ef . Vf + Em . Vm

E (transverse) = EmEf
Vf . Em + Vm. Ef

Em = Matrix modulus, Vm = matrix volume fraction,

Ef = Fibre Modulus, Vf = fibre volume fraction
Vm + Vf = 1

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Composite Material Properties

Material Fibre Modulus Strength
Volume (GPa) (MPa)
Steels ---- 203 600-2000
Aluminium ---- 75 70-80
UD CF/Epoxy 0.6 180 1500
UD Kevlar/Epoxy 0.6 76 1400
UD CF/PEEK 0.66 134 2130
UD GF/Epoxy 0.6 50 1200

All composite properties measured in fibre direction

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…...the Composite Advantage is Weight

Material Specific Specific
Modulus Strength
UD CF/Epoxy 113 937
UD CF/PEEK 84 1330
UD Kevlar/Epoxy 52 965
Aluminium 30 30
UD GF/Epoxy 21 590
Steels 26 76-255

Specific properties are normalised by relative density

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Improving Fibre Properties

Carbon fibres: Modulus Strength
(GPa) (MPa)

T700 (HS) 235 5300

HTS (HS) 238 4300
IM6 / IM7 (IM) 303 5200
HR40 (HM) 381 4800
HS40 (UHM) 441 4400
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Applications of Composites
Where the increased performance/reduced weight will
pay for the increased cost of manufacture
Ordered according to value per Kg weight saved:
– Space (antennae, structures,satellite dishes etc)
– Military Aircraft (wings, fuselage etc.)
– Formula One (practically everything)
– Civil aircraft (control surfaces, floor beams, wings ?)
– High-speed rotating machinery
– Personalised protection (sports, ballistic armour)
– Specialised automotive (e.g. Lotus, Ferraris)

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Composites in Aerospace

Composites in use in space/military aircraft since

late 1960s.

B2 Bomber RAH 66 Comanche Helicopter

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Composites In Large Aircraft

Boeing 777(1988) – 7%
Airbus A340 (1990) – 15%
Airbus A380 (2005) – 25%
Airbus A400M (2009) – 35%
Boeing 787 (2009) – 55%
Airbus A350 (2010) – 40-50%

Airbus A350 (2010)

A380 Boeing 787 (2009)

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Structure
Interiors Empennage, bulkheads,
Floor beams, seats, control surfaces, engine
overhead bins, galleys cowlings, fairings etc.
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GF/Phenolic
Smoke -
CF/Epoxy detector
spoilers for housing
Boeing

Quartz fibre radome

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

A – 380 “Super-Jumbo”

• Many innovative composite applications

• 22-25% structural weight in composites
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Boeing 7E7 (planned 2009)

• Longer range, more fuel-efficient aircraft

• Over 50% structural weight in composites

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Boeing 7E7 (planned 2009)

First 7m composite
fuselage section
made in Dec 2004

Enables bigger
windows, lower
cabin pressure and
higher humidity
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Airbus A350 (planned 2010)

• Competitor to 7E7 – based on existing A330

• Longer range, more fuel-efficient aircraft
• More composite intensive than existing

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

New Aerospace Materials

Fibre-Metal Laminates (e.g. GLARE)

Laminates of Al and CF/Epoxy

Improved impact and fire
resistance over Al & composites
Better fatigue resistance than
aluminium
Proposed for upper fuselage of
A-380
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Issues in Aerospace
• Composites manufacturing processes still
not automated sufficiently

• Damage tolerance seen to be a problem (epoxy)

- ramp rash
- developments in thermoplastics
- fibre / metal laminates

• Composites don’t fatigue like aluminium (great!)

• Cost….Cost……Cost

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Application - Marine
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Composites in Marine/Offshore
Lightweight composite sandwiches are material
of choice for yacht hulls, minesweepers etc.

Offshore oil rigs, risers, platforms with special

resin grades for maritime environment

New closed-mould, in-bag infusion technologies

larger mouldings, less environmental impact

Smart fibre optics embedded in yacht masts

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Application - Automotive

Bus interiors and exterior panels

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Bus panels moulded in GF/PP (Twintex)

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Application - Automotive

EJ 11

Daimler-Chrysler
Dodge ESX-3
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Composites in Automotive
Mainly short-fibre reinforced thermosets (SMC) and
thermoplastics (GMT & filled inj. Mouldings)
Pickup-bed covers, bonnets, front-end carriers,
seats, spoilers, rocker and valve covers etc.
Advanced composites structural elements/body
panels being developed - electric car
Recyclability & sustainability very important
thermoplastic matrices
natural fibres - flax, jute, sisal, hemp

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Application - Infrastructure

Shear reinforcement in Reinforcement of support props

construction or anchor bolts in tunnel
construction
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Strengthening with CFRP laminates

after failure
load [kN]
150
strengthened with
CFRP laminates

steel reinforced
concrete beam

0 midspan 100
deflection
i bk
[mm]

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Composites in Infrastructure
Carbon fibre prices now dropping rapidly, as low as
$12/kg for large tows

Rehabilitation of bridges/buildings with CF

plates/strips at minimum cost and inconvenience

Seismic retrofitting of columns with CF wraps

All-composite foot bridges from pultruded sections

All-composite vehicular bridges coming into service

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Innovative Tubular Grid Structures

Grid structures can be

designed for optimum
properties - combinations of
torsion & flexure, include
redundant members for
impact & durability

Fig.6: Structural grid structure

(Photo: ABB)

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Wind Energy
• Wind market growing worldwide at 15%/annum

• Blades up to 40m made of glass-fibre/epoxy

• Next generation 50-60m for offshore sites –

size means use of carbon fibre for stiffness

• Denmark aims to supply 20% of its own

energy by wind power by 2010
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40m Wind Turbine Blade

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Box-Spar

Hub
Skins/Shells Connection
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Application - Biomedical Implants

• Composites are anisotropic, so properties can be tailored
by varying fibre volume fraction
by varying the angle of reinforcement
by changing the local density/form of reinforcement

• Composites are transparent to radio waves & non

magnetic
metals produce artifacts under CAT scans & MRI

• Polymer matrices can be bio-inert or biodegradable

ME 423 Polymers & Polymer Composites

Bone Fixation Screws (CF/PEEK)

ETH Zurich
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Bone Fixation Plate (CF/PEEK)

ETH Zurich