COMPOSITE MATERIALS by Dr.

Muhammad Riaz Bhatti

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COMPOSITE MATERIAL
What is composite ? Introduction Definition Types Structural (Laminar or layered) composite

Particulate composites
Fiber reinforced composites
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 Advanced Fiber-reinforced Composites

Polymer (Organic or resin)matrix composites (PMCs) Metal-matrix composites (MMCs) Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs)

Carbon-carbon composites (CCCs)

Assets and Limitations Defects Areas Of Applications
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What is a composite?
A composite is a structural material which consists of combining two or more constituents Examples:

Concrete reinforced with steel

Epoxy reinforced with graphite fibers. Flesh in your leg reinforced with bones
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Bricks and Straw (Historical background)

You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;

let them go and gather

their own straw -

Exodus 5.7.

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Concrete Cement
The most visible applications pave our roadways in the form

of either steel and

aggregate reinforced cement or asphalt concrete.
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PLywood
Plywood is a
common composite

material that many

people encounter in their everyday lives.

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(a)

Fiberglass
The composites closest to our personal hygiene form our shower stalls

and bath tubs made of

fibergass.

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Contd

An Introduction

The objective is usually to make a component

strong and stiff, often with a low density.

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Matrix Polymer Ceramics Metallic

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Reinforcement Fiber particle flake

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Contd

An Introduction

The majority of composite materials use two constituents: i- binder or matrix and ii- reinforcement. The reinforcement is stronger and stiffer, forms backbone, while The matrix keeps the reinforcement in a set place. The binder also protects the reinforcement, which may be brittle or breakable.
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Reinforcement forms

Reinforcement can be in the form of:

Continuous fiber Organic fiber- i.e. Kevlar, polyethylene Inorganic fiber- i.e. glass, alumina, carbon Natural fiber- i.e. asbestos, jute, silk Short fiber whiskers Particle Wire
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Reinforcement

Random fiber composites

Continuous fiber composites

Particulate composites
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Flake composites
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Reinforcement for Composites

Different types of reinforcement for composites: (a) particle reinforcement; (b) short fiber reinforcement; (c) continuous fiber reinforcement; 1/23/2013 WEC (d) laminate reinforcement

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Definition
A combination of two or more materials (reinforcement, resin, filler, etc.), differing in form or composition on a macroscale. The constituents retain their identities, i.e.,
they do not dissolve or merge into each other, although
they act in concert.

Normally, the components can be physically identified and exhibit an interface between each other.
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Properties of composites
Composite materials consist of two or more different (non-uniform solid) materials, that are mechanically or metallurgically bonded together. Each component retains its identity and maintains its characteristic structure and properties.

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Properties of composites
Composite material generally possesses characteristic properties such as stiffness, strength, hardness high temperature performance,

corrosion resistance, and conductivity, components by themselves.

which are not possible with the individual

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Dependence of Properties
The properties of composite materials depend on the following: the properties of individual components the relative amount of components

the size, shape, and discontinuous components

the degree components.
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distribution

of

the orientation of various components of bonding

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between

the
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Classification of Composites
The materials involved in making composites can be organics, metals, or ceramics. Accordingly there are many types of composites and several methods of classifying them.

One method is based on geometry and consists of three distinct families:

i. Structural (Laminar or layered composite ) ii. Particulate composites iii. Fiber reinforced composites
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Classification of Composite based on geometry

Composites

Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Largeparticle

Dispersionstrengthened

Continuous (aligned)

Discontinuous (short)

Laminates

Sandwich panels

Aligned

Randomly oriented

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Classification based on Matrices

Composite materials

Matrices

Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC)

Metal Matrix Composites MMC)

Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC)

Thermoset

Thermoplastic

Rubber

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1- Structural (Laminar or layered composite) Laminar or layered composites have distinct layers of materials bonded together & include
thin coatings, thicker protective surfaces, claddings,

bimetallics,
sand-wiches, etc.
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1- Structural (Laminar or layered composite) They are used to impart properties e.g., enhanced corrosion or wear resistance, electrical insulation or conductivity, unique expansion characteristics, lighter weight, improved strength,

altered appearances, or reduced cost.

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Contd

Structural composite

Properties of laminar composites are always anisotropic - i.e., they are not the same in all directions. Because of variation in structure, properties will

always

be

different

in

the

direction

perpendicular to the layers. Examples of laminar composites include:

Safety glass, (a layer of polymeric adhesive is placed b/w two pieces of glass),
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Plywood,

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Contd

Structural composite

Aramid-aluminumlaminates (consist of thin sheets of Al bonded with woven adhesiveimpregnated aramid

Schematic diagram of an aramid -aluminum laminate, Arall, which has potential for aerospace applications.

fibers),

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Contd

Structural composite

Formica countertops,
imitation hardwood flooring, &

furniture,
printed circuit board.

Alclad Al alloy, Sandwich material, e.g., corrugated cardboard, polymer foam or honeycomb structure to produce lightweight, high-strength/rigidity composite.
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Contd

Structural composite

Figure (a) A hexagonal cell honeycomb core, (b) can be joined to two face sheets by means of adhesive sheets, (c) producing an exceptionally lightweight yet stiff, strong honeycomb sandwich structure.
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Contd

Structural composite

Bimetallic strip is a laminate of two metals with different coefficient of thermal expansion- used in
thermostat & other heat sensing appliances.
Material A has greater coefficient of thermal expansion. Note the response to cold & hot temperature.
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2 - Particulate composites
Particulate composites Consists of discrete particles of one material surrounded by a matrix of another material.

These composites are usually isotropic, i.e., uniform in all

directions. Examples are: Concrete which uses
cement as a binding material in combination with

gravel as a reinforcement.

powder metallurgy products

Which involve extremely fine particles.
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Contd

Particulate composites

Few more examples are: Dispersion-strengthened materials, where a small amount of

hard, brittle, small sized particles (typically, oxides or carbides)

are dispersed throughout a soft, more ductile metal matrix, e.g.,
Sintered Aluminum powder (Al2O3 up to 14 %, Thoria -dispersed Nickel alloy 1-2 %).

True particulate composites, contain large amount of coarse particles. For e.g.,
Cemented carbides consist of hard Tungsten carbide, Tantalum carbide, or Titanium carbides particles embedded in a soft matrix of Cobalt.
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Contd

Particulate composites

Grinding & cutting wheels

formed by bonding abrasives, such as alumina, SiC, boron nitride, or diamond, in a matrix of glass or polymeric material.

Metal-matrix composites
by introducing ceramic or glass particles into Al or Mg matrices. Particulate toughened ceramics using zirconia & alumina matrices are being used as bearings, bushings, valve seats, die inserts & cutting tools inserts
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3-Fiber Reinforced Composites

The most popular type of composite material is the Fiber reinforced composite, where
continuous or discontinuous thin fibers of one material are
embedded in a matrix of another.

The objective is usually to enhance

strength, stiffness, fatigue resistance, or strength-to-weight ratio

by incorporating strong, stiff, but possibly brittle, fibers in a soft matrix.

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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

Wood and bamboo are

two naturally occurring fiber composites, consisting of
cellulose fibers in a

lignin matrix.

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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

These composites can be divided into short fiber and continuous fiber reinforced materials. The woven and continuous fiber styles are available in a variety of forms, i. pre-impregnated with the given matrix (resin),

ii. uni-directional tapes of various widths, iii. plain weave, iv. braided, and stitched

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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

Bricks of straw and mud may well have been the first human-made material of this variety, dating back to near 800 B.C. Automobile tires now use fibers of
nylon, rayon, aramid or steel
in various numbers and orientations to reinforce the rubber and provide added strength and durability.

Steel-reinforced concrete is actually a double composite,

consisting of a particulate matrix reinforced with steel fibers
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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

developed after World War, in an attempt to produce lightweight materials with high strength and high stiffness. Glass fibers (30 and 60%) about 10 um in diameter are

Glass-fiber-reinforced resins;

bonded in a variety of polymers, (epoxy or polyester).

Current uses of glass fiber-reinforced plastics include: sporting goods, boat hulls, and Bath tubs etc.
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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

Carbon composite is a key material in today's launch vehicles and spacecrafts.

It is widely used in:

solar panel substrates, antenna reflectors, yokes of spacecrafts. payload adapters, inter-stage structures and heat shields of launch vehicles.

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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

Ceramic fibers, metal wires have also been used as reinforcing fibers for high-strength, high-temperature applications. Natural fibers (Cotton, jute, coconut husk), less expensive, environmentally friendly materials Thermoplastic fibers, such as nylon and polyester, have been used
to enhance the toughness and impact strength of the brittle thermoset resins

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Dependence of Properties
The properties of fiber-reinforced composites depend strongly on several characteristics:

i.
ii.

the properties of the fiber material;

the volume fraction of fibers;

iii. the aspect ratio of the fibers, that is, the length - to diameter ratio; iv. the orientation of the fibers; is key to properties and performance.

v. the degree of bonding between the fiber and the matrix; and
vi. the properties of the matrix
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Methods of Reinforcing Plastics

Figure: Schematic illustration of methods of reinforcing plastics (matrix) with (a) particles, and (b) short or long fibers or flakes. The four layers of continuous fibers in illustration (c) are1/23/2013 assembled into a laminate structure. WEC 40

Fiber Alignment

aligned continuous
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aligned random discontinuous

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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

While more fibers tend to provide greater strength and

stiffness, the volume fraction of fibers generally cannot

exceed 80% to allow for a continuous matrix. Long, thin fibers (higher aspect ratio) provide
greater strength, and a

strong bond is usually desired between the fiber and matrix.

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Contd

Fiber Reinforced Composites

strong, tough, and ductile so that they can transmit the loads to the fibers and prevent cracks from propagating through the composite

The matrix materials should be

In addition,
the matrix material is often responsible for
the electrical properties, chemical behavior, and elevated - temperature stability.
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Advanced Fiber-reinforced Composites

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Advanced Fiber-reinforced Composites

Advanced composites have been developed for applications requiring exceptional combinations of
strength, stiffness, and

light weight

Fiber content generally exceeds 50% (by weight) &

the modulus of elasticity is typically greater than

16 x 106 psi.
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Advanced Fiber-reinforced Composites

There are four basic types of advanced composites where the matrix material is matched to the fiber and the conditions of application: A- Polymer (organic or resin) matrix

composites (PMCs)
B- Metal-matrix composites (MMCs) C- Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) D- Carbon-carbon composites (CCCs)
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A - Polymer (organic or resin)matrix composites (PMCs)

Polymer matrix composites frequently use
high-strength, low Thermal expansion
high-modulus fibers of graphite, aramid (Kevlar), or

boron.

Unfortunately, these materials have a maximum service temperature of about 315C because
polymer matrix loses strength when heated.
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Thermoplastic Composite Matrices

Thermoplastic polymers are increasingly being applied as composite matrices.

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Fiber Reinforced Composites

Bulletproof vests Dupont engineered these composites. The product is surprisingly flexible while still extremely strong.

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A - Polymer (organic or resin)matrix composites (PMCs)

Applications include: sporting equipment (tennis rackets, skis, golf clubs, and fishing poles),

Automobile parts,
lightweight armor plate, and number of low-temperature aerospace components.
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Jet Skis

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Automotive uses
In automotive uses include: body panels drive shafts, springs, and bumpers (Weight savings generally 20 to 25%). Truck manufacturers now use fiber-reinforced composites for cab shells and bodies, oil pans, fan shrouds, instrument panels, and engine covers
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Application of Polymer Matrix Composites

Carbon-fiber shin
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B Metal - Matrix Composites (MMCs)

Metal-matrix composites (MMCs) can be used for operating temperatures up to 1250C, where the conditions require
high strength,

high stiffness,
good electrical and/or thermal conductivity, exceptional wear resistance, and good ductility and toughness.

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B Metal - Matrix Composites (MMCs)

Matrix material can be aluminum, copper, magnesium, titanium, nickel, superalloy, or even intermetallic compound, while the reinforcing fibers may be graphite, boron carbide, alumina, or silicon carbide & fine whiskers (tiny needlelike single crystals of 1 to 10 um in diameter).

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Applications of MMCs
Aluminum-oxide-reinforced aluminum used in
automotive connecting rods to provide stiffness and fatigue resistance with lighter weight

Aluminum reinforced with silicon carbide has been fabricated

into automotive drive shafts,

cylinder liners and brake drums as well as

aircraft wing panels, all offering significant weight savings Fiber-reinforced superalloys may well become a preferred material for applications such as turbine blades
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C Ceramic - Matrix Composites (CMCs)

Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) offer light weight, high-temperature strength and stiffness, good dimensional and

environmental stability.
The matrix provides high temperature resistance & can operate at temperatures as high as 1500C

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C Ceramic - Matrix Composites (CMCs) The crystalline ceramics, usually based on

alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride, titanium diboride, or zirconia, can be used at even higher temperatures.
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C Ceramic - Matrix Composites (CMCs)

Typical reinforcements include
carbon fiber,

glass fiber,
fibers of the various matrix materials, and ceramic whiskers.

The fibers add

directional strength, increase fracture toughness, improve thermal shock resistance and can be incorporated in unwoven, woven, knitted, & braided form. WEC

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Applications of CMCs
Applications include: gas-turbine components, high-pressure heat exchangers, and high-temperature filters. Unfortunately, the cost of ceramic-ceramic composites ranges from high to extremely high, so applications are restricted to those where the benefits are quite attractive.

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D - Carbon- Carbon Composites

Carbon-carbon composites comprise of graphite fibers in a graphite or carbon matrix. These composites are heat-resistant materials & can operate
at temperatures above 2000C along with a strength that is 20 times that of conventional graphite.

For temperatures over 540C, however, the composite requires some form of coating to protect it from oxidizing.
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D - Carbon- Carbon Composites

Applications include:

nose cone and leading edge of the space shuttle, aircraft,

racing car disc brakes, automotive clutches, aerospace turbines jet engine components, rocket nozzles, and

surgical implants

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AREAS OF APPLICATION

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AREAS OF APPLICATION
Aerospace Defence Automotive Sports Other applications

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Aerospace applications
Aerospace applications frequently require
light weight, high strength,

stiffness, and
fatigue resistance.

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner structure including the wings and fuselage is composed of over 50 percent composites.

Boeing 767 (and in 777, 787 airplanes w/ the latest, full wing box is composite)

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Aircraft specifications
Boeing 737
Passengers Length Wingspan Height Total weight
189 38.4 m 28.9 m 11.1 m 125 tons

Concorde
100 62.1 m 25.6m 11.4 m 185 tons

Air Bus A380

555 73 m 79.8 m 24.1 m

560 tons

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FIGURE - Schematic diagram showing the materials used in the various sections of the F-22 Raptor fighter airplane. Traditional materials, such as aluminum and steel, comprise only 20% by weight. Titanium accounts for 42%, and 24% is composite material.
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Marine Composites: state-of-the-art

Swedish Navy Visby stealth corvette 600 tons - 72 m long - FRP sandwich Royal Navy mine counter measures vessels 725 tons - 60 m long - monolithic GRP 1/23/2013 WEC

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Marine Composites: state-of-the-art

VT Mirabella V sloop rigged yacht
740 tones - 75.2 m long - 90 m mast CFRP/GRP/polyolefin foam

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Fighter Jets

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Lear Fan 2100 all-composite aircraft

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Space shuttle
The most advanced examples perform routinely on spacecraft in demanding environments e.g., aerospace components (tails, wings, fuselages, propellers etc).
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Sports composites

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Recreational Equipment
Recreational Equipment heavily dependent on technology, e.g., Snow Board is a free riding, turn-tip board with cap & full wrap around edge Should be stiff & rigid, so one can rail them at high speed, launch & land the hugest airs fabricated from Advanced Composites,

Its base is made of compressed Carbon, The

other layers are made of fiber glass, ABS, polyurathane plastic & hardened steel
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Recreational Equipment
Mountain Bike - an integration of composite materials, like metals, elastomers, 8 Kg wt still meets the tough requirement of sports
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Sports composites
In sports composites are used for: Golf club shafts, baseball bats,

fishing rods,
archery bows, tennis rackets, bicycle frames, Skis etc
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Automotive uses

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Automotive uses
In automotive uses of composite materials include: body panels drive shafts, springs, and bumpers. (Weight savings compared to existing parts is generally 20 to 25%). Truck manufacturers now use fiber-reinforced composites for cab shells and bodies, oil pans, fan shrouds, instrument panels, and engine covers.
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Railways
Inter-City 125 locomotive cab

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Corvette Leaf Springs

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Other applications
Other applications include such diverse products as boat hulls, bathroom shower and tub structures, chairs, architectural panels, agricultural tanks and containers, Wind blades pipes and vessels for the chemical industry, and external housings for a variety of consumer and industrial products.
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Pressure vessels

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wind blades

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 The superiority of the various advanced composites over the conventional aerospace metals is clearly evident.

Assets and Limitations

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 The weight of a graphite epoxy composite I-beam is less than

One-fifth that of steel, One-third that of Titanium, and One-half that of Aluminum.

Assets

Its ultimate tensile strength

equals or exceeds that of the other three materials, and it possesses an almost infinite fatigue life.

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Limitations
The greatest limitations of composites are their relative brittleness and

high cost of both materials and fabrication.

While there has been considerable advancement in the field, manufacturing with composites can still be quite labor intensive, and there is a persistent lack of trained designers,

established design guidelines and data,

information about fabrication costs, and reliable methods of quality control and inspection.
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Defects
Defects involve:

delaminations,
voids, missing layers, contamination, fiber breakage, and improperly cured resin (hard-to-detect).
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Thanks

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Reinforcement: Function & Types

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An Introduction
Composite materials (or composites) are engineered materials

made from two or more constituent materials with

significantly different physical or chemical properties and Which remain separate and distinct

on a macroscopic level within the finished structure.

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Kevlar
Kevlar is a material formed by combining paraphenylenediamine and terephthaloyl chloride. Aromatic polyamide (aramid) threads are the result. They are further refined, by dissolving the threads and spinning them into regular fibres. When woven, Kevlar forms a strong and flexible material. If layers of the woven Kevlar are combined with layers of resin, the resulting rigid material is light and has twenty times the strength of steel. It is also superior to specialist metal alloys. However, Kevlar is expensive due to the demands of the manufacturing process and the need for specialist equipment
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