Introduction to Composite

Materials

By
Md.Ahasan

Introduction to Composite
Materials
A composite material can be defined as a combination of two
or more materials that results in better properties than those
of the individual components used alone. In contrast to
metallic alloys, each material retains its separate chemical,
physical, and mechanical properties. The two constituents are
a reinforcement and a matrix. The main advantages of
composite materials are their high strength and stiffness,
combined with low density, when compared with bulk
materials, allowing for a weight reduction in the finished par

Composite materials
Introduction
Definition: any combination of two or more
different materials at the macroscopic level.
OR
Two inherently different materials that when
combined together produce a material with
properties that exceed the constituent
materials.

Reinforcement phase (e.g., Fibers)

Binder phase (e.g., compliant matrix)

Advantages

High strength and stiffness

Low weight ratio
Material can be designed in addition to the structure

Applications

Straw in clay construction by

Egyptians
Aerospace industry
Sporting goods
Automotive
Construction

Types of Composites
Matrix
phase/Reinforc
ement Phase

Metal

Ceramic

Polymer

Metal

Powder metallurgy
parts combining
immiscible metals

Cermets (ceramicmetal composite)

Brake pads

Ceramic

Cermets, TiC, TiCN

Cemented carbides
used in tools
Fiber-reinforced
metals

SiC reinforced
Al2O3
Tool materials

Fiberglass

Kevlar fibers in an
epoxy matrix

Polymer
Elemental
(Carbon,
Boron, etc.)

Fiber reinforced
metals
Auto parts
aerospace

Rubber with
carbon (tires)
Boron, Carbon
reinforced plastics

MMCs

CMCs

PMCs

Metal Matrix Composites

Ceramic Matrix Comps.

Polymer Matrix Comps

Costs of composite manufacture

Material costs -- higher for composites

Constituent materials (e.g., fibers and resin)

Processing costs -- embedding fibers in matrix
not required for metals Carbon fibers order of

magnitude higher than aluminum

Design costs -- lower for composites

Can reduce the number of parts in a complex

assembly by designing the material in
combination with the structure

Increased performance must justify higher

material costs

Types of Composite Materials

There are five basic types of composite
materials: Fiber, particle, flake, laminar or
layered and filled composites.

A. Fiber Composites
In fiber composites, the fibers reinforce along the
line of their length. Reinforcement may be mainly 1D, 2-D or 3-D. Figure shows the three basic types of
fiber orientation.
1-D gives maximum strength
in one direction.
2-D gives strength in two
directions.
Isotropic gives strength
equally in all directions.

Composite strength depends on following

factors:
Inherent fiber
strength, Fiber length,
Number of flaws
Fiber shape
The bonding of the
fiber (equally stress
distribution)
Voids
Moisture (coupling
agents)

B. Particle Composites
Particles usually reinforce a composite equally in all directions (called
isotropic). Plastics, cermets and metals are examples of particles.
Particles used to strengthen a matrix do not do so in the same way as
fibers. For one thing, particles are not directional like fibers. Spread at
random through out a matrix, particles tend to reinforce in all
directions equally.

Cermets
(1) OxideBased cermets
(e.g. Combination of Al2O3 with Cr)
(2) CarbideBased Cermets
(e.g. Tungstencarbide, titaniumcarbide)
Metalplastic particle composites
(e.g. Aluminum, iron & steel, copper particles)
Metalinmetal Particle Composites and
Dispersion Hardened Alloys
(e.g. Ceramicoxide particles)

C. Flake Composites - 1
Flakes, because of their shape,
usually reinforce in 2-D. Two
common flake materials are glass
and mica. (Also aluminum is used
as metal flakes)

C. Flake Composites -2
A flake composite consists of thin, flat
flakes held together by a binder or
placed in a matrix. Almost all flake
composite matrixes are plastic resins.
The most important flake materials are:

1. Aluminum
2. Mica
3. Glass

C. Flake Composites -3
Basically, flakes will provide:
Uniform mechanical properties in the
plane of the flakes
Higher strength
Higher flexural modulus
Higher dielectric strength and heat
resistance
Better resistance to penetration by liquids
and vapor
Lower cost

D. Laminar Composites - 1
Laminar composites involve two or
more layers of the same or different
materials. The layers can be arranged in
different directions to give strength
where needed. Speedboat hulls are
among the very many products of this
kind.

D. Laminar Composites - 2
Like all composites laminar composites
aim at combining constituents to
produce
properties
that
neither
constituent alone would have.
In laminar composites outer metal is not
called a matrix but a face. The inner
metal, even if stronger, is not called a
reinforcement. It is called a base.

D. Laminar Composites - 3
We can divide laminar composites into three basic types:
Unreinforcedlayer composites
(1) AllMetal
(a) Plated and coated metals (electrogalvanized
steel steel plated with zinc)
(b) Clad metals (aluminumclad, copperclad)
(c) Multilayer metal laminates (tungsten, beryllium)
(2) MetalNonmetal (metal with plastic, rubber, etc.)
(3) Nonmetal (glassplastic laminates, etc.)
Reinforcedlayer composites (laminae and laminates)
Combined composites (reinforcedplastic laminates
well bonded with steel, aluminum, copper, rubber,
gold, etc.)

D. Laminar Composites - 4
A lamina (laminae) is any
arrangement
of
unidirectional
or
woven
fibers in a matrix. Usually
this arrangement is flat,
although it may be curved,
as in a shell.
A laminate is a stack of
lamina arranged with their
main reinforcement in at
least
two
different
directions.

E. Filled Composites
There are two types of filled composites.
In one, filler materials are added to a
normal
composite
result
in
strengthening
the
composite
and
reducing weight. The second type of
filled composite consists of a skeletal 3D matrix holding a second material. The
most widely used composites of this
kind are sandwich structures and
honeycombs.

F. Combined Composites
It is possible to combine
several
different
materials into a single
composite. It is also
possible
to
combine
several
different
composites into a single
product. A good example
is
a
modern
ski.
(combination of wood as
natural fiber, and layers
as laminar composites)

Forms of Reinforcement Phase

Fibers

cross-section can be circular, square or hexagonal

Diameters --> 0.0001 - 0.005
Lengths --> L/D ratio
100 -- for chopped fiber
much longer for continuous fiber

Particulate

small particles that impede dislocation movement (in

metal composites) and strengthens the matrix
For sizes > 1 m, strength of particle is involves in load
sharing with matrix

Flakes

flat platelet form

Fiber Reinforcement
The typical composite consists of a matrix
holding reinforcing materials. The reinforcing
materials, the most important is the fibers,
supply the basic strength of the composite.
However, reinforcing materials can contribute
much more than strength. They can conduct
heat or resist chemical corrosion. They can
resist or conduct electricity. They may be
chosen for their stiffness (modulus of
elasticity) or for many other properties.

Types of Fibers
The fibers are divided into two main groups:
Glass fibers: There are many different kinds of
glass, ranging from ordinary bottle glass to high
purity quartz glass. All of these glasses can be
made into fibers. Each offers its own set of
properties.
Advanced fibers: These materials offer high
strength and high stiffness at low weight. Boron,
silicon, carbide and graphite fibers are in this
category. So are the aramids, a group of plastic
fibers of the polyamide (nylon) family.

Fibers - Glass
Fiberglass properties vary somewhat according to the type of glass used.
However, glass in general has several wellknown properties that
contribute to its great usefulness as a reinforcing agent:

Tensile strength
Chemical resistance
Moisture resistance
Thermal properties
Electrical properties

There are four main types of glass used in fiberglass:

Aglass
Cglass
Eglass
Sglass

Fibers - Glass
Most widely used fiber
Uses: piping, tanks, boats, sporting goods
Advantages

Low cost
Corrosion resistance
Low cost relative to other composites:

Disadvantages

Relatively low strength

High elongation
Moderate strength and weight

Types:

E-Glass - electrical, cheaper

S-Glass - high strength

Fibers - Aramid (kevlar, Twaron)

Uses:

high performance replacement for

glass fiber

Examples

Armor, protective clothing, industrial,

sporting goods

Advantages:
higher strength and lighter than glass
More ductile than carbon

Fibers - Carbon
2nd most widely used fiber
Examples

aerospace, sporting goods

Advantages

high stiffness and strength

Low density
Intermediate cost
Properties:

Standard modulus: 207-240 Gpa

Intermediate modulus: 240-340 GPa
High modulus: 340-960 GPa
Diameter: 5-8 microns, smaller than human hair

Fibers grouped into tows or yarns of 2-12k fibers

Fibers -- Carbon (2)

Types of carbon fiber

vary in strength with processing

Trade-off between strength and modulus

Intermediate modulus

PAN (Polyacrylonitrile)
fiber precursor heated and stretched to align structure

and remove non-carbon material

High modulus

made from petroleum pitch precursor at lower

cost
much lower strength

Fibers - Others
Boron

High stiffness, very high cost

Large diameter - 200 microns
Good compressive strength

Polyethylene - trade name: Spectra fiber

Textile industry
High strength
Extremely light weight
Low range of temperature usage

Fibers -- Others (2)

Ceramic Fibers (and matrices)

Very high temperature applications

(e.g. engine components)
Silicon carbide fiber - in whisker form.
Ceramic matrix so temperature
resistance is not compromised
Infrequent use

Fiber Material Properties

Steel: density (Fe) = 7.87 g/cc; TS=0.380 GPa; Modulus=207 GPa

Al: density=2.71 g/cc; TS=0.035 GPa; Modulus=69 GPa

Fiber Strength

Matrix Materials
Functions of the matrix

Transmit force between fibers

arrest cracks from spreading between fibers
do not carry most of the load

hold fibers in proper orientation

protect fibers from environment
mechanical forces can cause cracks that allow environment to

affect fibers

Demands on matrix

Interlaminar shear strength

Toughness
Moisture/environmental resistance
Temperature properties
Cost

Matrices - Polymeric
Thermosets

cure by chemical reaction

Irreversible
Examples
Polyester, vinylester

Most common, lower cost, solvent resistance

Epoxy resins

Superior performance, relatively costly

Matrices - Thermosets
Polyester
Polyesters have good mechanical properties,
electrical properties and chemical resistance.
Polyesters are amenable to multiple fabrication
techniques and are low cost.

Vinyl Esters
Vinyl Esters are similar to polyester in
performance. Vinyl esters have increased
resistance to corrosive environments as well as a
high degree of moisture resistance.

Matrices - Thermosets
Epoxy
Epoxies have improved strength and stiffness
properties over polyesters. Epoxies offer excellent
corrosion resistance and resistance to solvents
and alkalis. Cure cycles are usually longer than
polyesters, however no by-products are produced.
Flexibility and improved performance is also
achieved by the utilization of additives and fillers.

Matrices - Thermoplastics
Formed by heating to elevated temperature
at which softening occurs

Reversible reaction
Can be reformed and/or repaired - not common
Limited in temperature range to 150C

Examples

Polypropylene
with nylon or glass
can be injected-- inexpensive

Soften layers of combined fiber and resin and

place in a mold -- higher costs

Matrices - Others
Metal Matrix Composites - higher
temperature

e.g., Aluminum with boron or carbon

fibers

Ceramic matrix materials - very high

temperature

Fiber is used to add toughness, not

necessarily higher in strength and
stiffness

Important Note
Composite properties are less
than that of the fiber because of
dilution by the matrix and the
need to orient fibers in different
directions.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
OF COMPOSITES
Composite materials have succeeded remarkably in
their relatively short history. But for continued
growth, especially in structural uses, certain
obstacles must be overcome. A major one is the
tendency of designers to rely on traditional materials
such as steel and aluminum unless composites can
be produced at lower cost.
Cost concerns have led to several changes in the
composites industry. There is a general movement
toward the use of less expensive fibers. For example,
graphite and aramid fibers have largely supplanted
the more costly boron in advancedfiber composites.
As important as savings on materials may be, the
real key to cutting composite costs lies in the area of
processing.

The processing of fiber reinforced laminates can be

divided into two main steps:

Layup
Curing
Curing
is
the
drying
and
hardening
(or
polymerization) of the resin matrix of a finished
composite. This may be done unaided or by
applying heat and/or pressure.
Layup basically is the process of arranging fiber
reinforced layers (laminae) in a laminate and
shaping the laminate to make the part desired. (The
term layup is also used to refer to the laminate
itself before curing.) Unless prepregs are used, lay
up includes the actual creation of laminae by
applying resins to fiber reinforcements.

Laminate layup operations fall into three main

groups:

A. Winding and laying operations

B. Molding operations
C. Continuous lamination
Continuous lamination is relatively unimportant
compared with quality parameters as not good as
wrt other two processes. In this process, layers of
fabric or mat are passed through a resin dip and
brought together between cellophane covering
sheets. Laminate thickness and resin content are
controlled by squeegee rolls. The layup is
passed through a heat zone to cure the resin.

A. Winding Operation
The most important operation in this category is
filament winding. Fibers are passed through liquid
resin, and then wound onto a mandrel. After lay
up is completed, the composite is cured on the
mandrel. The mandrel is then removed by melting,
dissolving, breakingout or some other method.

B. Molding Operations
Molding operations are used in making a large
number of common composite products. There are
two types of processes:

A. Openmold
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

Hand layup
Sprayup
Vacuumbag molding
Pressurebag molding
Thermal expansion molding
Autoclave molding
Centrifugal casting
Continuous pultrusion and pulforming.

1. Hand Lay-up
Hand layup, or contact molding, is the oldest
and simplest way of making fiberglassresin
composites. Applications are standard wind
turbine blades, boats, etc.)

2. Spray-up
In Sprayup process, chopped fibers and resins are
sprayed simultaneously into or onto the mold.
Applications are lightly loaded structural panels,
e.g. caravan bodies, truck fairings, bathtubes,
small boats, etc.

3. Vacuum-Bag Molding
The vacuumbag process was developed for
making a variety of components, including
relatively large parts with complex shapes.
Applications are large cruising boats, racecar
components, etc.

4. Pressure-Bag Molding
Pressurebag process is virtually a mirror
image of vacuumbag molding. Applications
are sonar domes, antenna housings, aircraft
fairings, etc.

5. Thermal Expansion Molding

In Thermal Expansion Molding process, prepreg
layers are wrapped around rubber blocks, and
then placed in a metal mold. As the entire
assembly is heated, the rubber expands more
than the metal, putting pressure on the
laminate. Complex shapes can be made
reducing the need for later joining and fastening
operations.

6. Autoclave Molding
Autoclave molding is similar to both vacuumbag
and pressurebag molding. Applications are
lighter, faster and more agile fighter aircraft,
motor sport vehicles.

7. Centrifugal Casting
Centrifugal Casting is used to form round objects
such as pipes.

8. Continuous Pultrusion and

Continuous
Pulforming
pultrusion
is
the
composite
counterpart of metal
extrusion. Complex
parts can be made.

Pulforming is similar to pultrusion in many ways.

However, pultrusion is capable only of making
straight products that have the same volume all
along their lengths. Pulformed products, on the other
hand, can be either straight or curved, with changing
shapes and volumes. A typical pulformed product is a
curved reinforced plastic car spring. (shown in figure.)

B. Closedmold
(1) Matcheddie molding: As the name
suggests,
a
matcheddie
mold
consists of closely matched male and
female dies (shown in figure).
Applications are spacecraft parts,
toys, etc.
(2) Injection molding: The injection
process begins with a thermosetting
(or sometimes thermoplastic) material
outside the mold. The plastic may
contain reinforcements or not. It is
first softened by heating and/or
mechanical
working
with
an
extrusiontype screw. It is then forced,
under high pressure from a ram or
screw, into the cool mold. Applications
are auto parts, vanes, engine cowling
defrosters and aircraft radomes.

Material Forms and

Manufacturing
Objectives of material production

assemble fibers
impregnate resin
shape product
cure resin

Sheet Molding Compound (SMC)

Chopped glass fiber added to

polyester resin mixture

Question: Is SMC isotropic or anisotropic?

Manufacturing - Filament
Winding
Highly automated

low
manufacturing
costs if high
throughput
e.g., Glass fiber
pipe, sailboard
masts

Prepregs
Prepreg and prepreg layup

prepreg - partially cured mixture of

fiber and resin
Unidirectional prepreg tape with paper

backing

wound on spools
Cut and stacked

Curing conditions
Typical temperature and pressure in

autoclave is 120-200C, 100 psi

Manufacturing - Layups
compression
molding

vacuum bagging

Material Forms
Textile forms

Braiding or weaving
Tubular braided form

can be flattened and cut for nontubular products

Fabric Structures
Woven:
Series of Interlaced yarns at 90 to each
other

Knit: Series of Interlooped Yarns

Braided: Series of Intertwined, Spiral Yarns

Nonwoven:
Oriented fibers either
mechanically, chemically, or thermally bonded

Woven Fabrics
Basic woven fabrics consists of two
systems of yarns interlaced at
right angles to create a single
layer with isotropic or biaxial
properties.

Physical Properties
Construction (ends & picks)
Weight
Thickness
Weave Type

Components of a Woven Fabric

Basic Weave Types

Plain Weave

Basic Weave Types

Satin 5HS

Basic Weave Types

2 x 2 Twill

Basic Weave Types

Non-Crimp

Braiding
A braid consists of two sets of yarns, which are helically
intertwined.
The resulting structure is oriented to the longitudinal axis
of the braid.
This structure is imparted with a high level of
conformability, relative low cost and ease of manufacture.

Braid Structure

Types of Braids

Triaxial Yarns
A system of longitudinal yarns can be
introduced which are held in place by the
braiding yarns
These yarns will add dimensional stability,
improve tensile properties, stiffness and
compressive strength.
Yarns can also be added to the core of the braid
to form a solid braid.

Fabric effects on material

properties

Resin transfer molding (RTM)

Dry-fiber preform placed in a
closed mold, resin injected into
mold, then cured

Material Forms
Pultrusion
Fiber and matrix are pulled
through a die, like extrusion of
metals -- assembles fibers,
impregnates the resin, shapes the
product, and cures the resin in one
step.
Example. Fishing rods

Pultrusion

Manufacturing
Tube rolling - tubular products

Examples
fishing rods
golf clubs
oars

Prepreg tape typically used wrapped in

2 directions or spiral wrapped