COMPOSITE

MATERIALS

MECH 473 ~ LECTURE 15:

COMPOSITES

COMPOSITES
-Composite materials are engineered materials made
from two or more constituent materials that remain
separate and distinct while forming a single component
-Generally, one material forms a continuous matrix while
the other provides the reinforcement
- The two materials must be chemically inert with respect
to each other so no interaction occurs upon heating until
one of the components melts, an exception to this
condition is a small degree of interdiffusion at the
reinforcement-matrix interface to increase bonding

MECH 473 ~ LECTURE 15:

COMPOSITES

COMPOSITES
Composites can be classified by their
matrix material which include:
-Metal matrix composites (MMCs)
-Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs)
-Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) or
sometimes referred to as organic matrix
composites (OMCs)

MECH 473 ~ LECTURE 15:

COMPOSITES

COMPOSITES

MMC - Metal Matrix Composites

-The matrix is relatively soft and flexible.
-The reinforcement must have high strength and stiffness
-Since the load must be transferred from the matrix to the
reinforcement, the reinforcement-matrix bond must be strong.
Some commonly used fibers for metal matrix composites:
-Boron fibers
-Carbon fibers
-Oxide ceramic and non-oxide ceramic fibers

MECH 473 ~ LECTURE 15:

COMPOSITES

COMPOSITES

PMC - Polymer Matrix Composites

-The matrix is relatively soft and flexible
-The reinforcement must have high strength and stiffness
-Since the load must be transferred from matrix to
reinforcement, the reinforcement-matrix bond must be strong
Some commonly used fibers for polymer matrix composites:
-Glass fibers
-Carbon fibers
-Aramid fibers

COMPOSITES
CMC Ceramic Matrix Composites
-The matrix is relatively hard and brittle
-The reinforcement must have high tensile strength to
arrest crack growth.
Some commonly used fibers for metal matrix composites:
Special silicon carbide (SiC)
Alumina (Al2O3)
Mullite (Al2O3SiO2)

Composite Benefits
CMCs: Increased toughness
Force

103

particle-reinf

un-reinf

10 -4
6061 Al
ss (s-1)
10 -6

10 -8
10 -10

metal/
metal alloys

.1 G=3E/8 polymers
.01 K=E
.1 .3 1 3 10 30
Density, [mg/m3]

Bend displacement

Increased
creep
resistance

ceramics

E(GPa)
PMCs
102
10

fiber-reinf

MMCs:

PMCs: Increased E/

6061 Al
w/SiC
whiskers

20 30 50

Adapted from T.G. Nieh, "Creep rupture of

a silicon-carbide reinforced aluminum
composite", Metall. Trans. A Vol. 15(1), pp.
139-146, 1984. Used with permission.

(MPa)
100 200

Composite Survey
C o m p o s it e s
P a r t ic le - r e in fo r c e d
L a rg e p a r t ic le

D is p e r s io n s tre n g th e n e d

F ib e r - r e in fo r c e d
C o n t in u o u s
( a lig n e d )

S tru c tu ra l

D is c o n t in u o u s
(s h o rt)
A lig n e d

R a n d o m ly
o r ie n t e d

L a m in a t e s

S a n d w ic h
p a n e ls

Adapted from Fig.

16.2, Callister 7e.

Composite Survey: Particle-I

Particle-reinforced
Examples:
- Spheroidite matrix:
ferrite ()
steel

Fiber-reinforced

(ductile)

60 m

- WC/Co
cemented
carbide

matrix:
cobalt
(ductile)
Vm :
5-12 vol%!

Structural
particles:
cementite
(Fe3 C)
(brittle)

Adapted from Fig.

10.19, Callister 7e.
(Fig. 10.19 is
copyright United
States Steel
Corporation, 1971.)

particles:
WC
(brittle,
hard)

Adapted from Fig.

16.4, Callister 7e.
(Fig. 16.4 is courtesy
Carboloy Systems,
Department, General
Electric Company.)

600 m

- Automobile matrix:
rubber
tires

particles:
C
(stiffer)

(compliant)
0.75 m

Adapted from Fig.

16.5, Callister 7e.
(Fig. 16.5 is courtesy
Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Company.)

Composite Survey: Particle-II

Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Concrete gravel + sand + cement

- Why sand and gravel?

Sand packs into gravel voids

Reinforced concrete - Reinforce with steel rebar or remesh

- increases strength - even if cement matrix is cracked

Prestressed concrete - remesh under tension during setting of

concrete. Tension release puts concrete under compressive force
- Concrete much stronger under compression.
- Applied tension must exceed compressive force

Post tensioning tighten nuts to put under rod under tension

but concrete under compression
nut

threaded
rod

Composite Survey: Particle-III

Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Elastic modulus, Ec, of composites:

-- two approaches.
E(GPa)
350
Data:
Cu matrix 300
w/tungsten 250
particles
200
150
0

upper limit: rule of mixtures

Ec = VmEm + VpEp

(Cu)

lower limit:
1 Vm Vp
=
+
Ec Em Ep
20 40 60 80

Adapted from Fig. 16.3,

Callister 7e. (Fig. 16.3 is
from R.H. Krock, ASTM
Proc, Vol. 63, 1963.)

10 0 vol% tungsten

(W)

Application to other properties:

-- Electrical conductivity, e: Replace E in the above equations
with e.
-- Thermal conductivity, k: Replace E in above equations with k.

Composite Survey: Fiber

Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Fibers themselves are very strong

Provide significant strength improvement to
material
Ex: fiber-glass
Continuous glass filaments in a polymer matrix
Strength due to fibers
Polymer simply holds them in place and
environmentally protects them

Fiber Loading Effect under Stress:

Composite Survey: Fiber

Particle-reinforced
Fiber-reinforced
Structural
Critical fiber length (lC) for effective stiffening & strengthening:
fiber strength in tension

f d
fiber length 15
c

fiber diameter
shear strength of
fiber-matrix interface

Ex: For fiberglass, a fiber length > 15 mm is needed since this length
provides a Continuous fiber based on usual glass fiber properties

Why? Longer fibers carry stress more efficiently!

Shorter, thicker fiber: d
Longer, thinner fiber: d
f
fiber length 15 f
fiber length 15
c
c
(x)

(x)

Adapted from Fig.

16.7, Callister 7e.

Poorer fiber efficiency

Better fiber efficiency

Fiber Load Behavior under Stress:

*f d
lc
2 c

Composite Survey: Fiber

Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Fiber Materials
Whiskers - Thin single crystals - large length to diameter ratio
graphite, SiN, SiC
high crystal perfection extremely strong, strongest known
very expensive
Fibers
polycrystalline or amorphous
generally polymers or ceramics
Ex: Al2O3 , Aramid, E-glass, Boron, UHMWPE
Wires
Metal steel, Mo, W

Fiber Alignment
Adapted from Fig.
16.8, Callister 7e.

aligned
continuous

aligned
random
discontinuous

Behavior under load for Fibers &

Matrix

Composite Strength: Longitudinal Loading

Continuous fibers - Estimate fiber-reinforced
composite strength for long continuous fibers in a
matrix

Longitudinal deformation
c = mVm + fVf
but
volume fraction

Ece = Em Vm + EfVf

Ff
EfVf

Fm E mVm

c = m = f
isostrain

longitudinal (extensional)
modulus
Remembering: E = /
f = fiber
m = matrix

and note, this model

corresponds to the
upper bound for
particulate composites

Composite Strength: Transverse Loading

In transverse loading the fibers carry less of the load
and are in a state of isostress
c = m = f =

1
Vm Vf

Ect E m Ef

c= mVm + fVf

transverse modulus
Remembering: E = /
and note, this model
corresponds to the lower
bound for particulate
composites

An Example:
UTS, SI

Modulus, SI

57.9 MPa

3.8 GPa

2.4 GPa

399.9 GPa

(241.5 GPa)

(9.34 GPa)

Note: (for ease of conversion)

6870 N/m2 per psi!

Composite Strength
Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Estimate of Ec and TS for discontinuous fibers:

f d
-- valid when fiber length 15
c

-- Elastic modulus in fiber direction:

Ec = EmVm + KEfVf
efficiency factor:
-- aligned 1D: K = 1 (aligned )
-- aligned 1D: K = 0 (aligned )
-- random 2D: K = 3/8 (2D isotropy)
-- random 3D: K = 1/5 (3D isotropy)

Values from Table 16.3, Callister 7e.

(Source for Table 16.3 is H. Krenchel,
Fibre Reinforcement, Copenhagen:
Akademisk Forlag, 1964.)

-- TS in fiber direction:

(TS)c = (TS)mVm + (TS)fVf

(aligned 1D)

Composite Survey: Fiber

Particle-reinforced
Fiber-reinforced
Aligned Continuous fibers
Examples:
-- Metal: '(Ni3Al)-(Mo)

-- Ceramic: Glass w/SiC fibers

formed by glass slurry

by eutectic solidification.

matrix: (Mo) (ductile)

Eglass = 76 GPa; ESiC = 400 GPa.

(a)

2 m

fibers: (Ni3Al) (brittle)

From W. Funk and E. Blank, Creep
deformation of Ni3Al-Mo in-situ
composites", Metall. Trans. A Vol. 19(4), pp.
987-998, 1988. Used with permission.

Structural

(b)

fracture
surface
From F.L. Matthews and R.L.
Rawlings, Composite Materials;
Engineering and Science, Reprint
ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL,
2000. (a) Fig. 4.22, p. 145 (photo by
J. Davies); (b) Fig. 11.20, p. 349
(micrograph by H.S. Kim, P.S.
Rodgers, and R.D. Rawlings). Used
with permission of CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Composite Survey: Fiber

Particle-reinforced
Fiber-reinforced
Discontinuous, random 2D fibers
Example: Carbon-Carbon
-- process: fiber/pitch, then
burn out at up to 2500C.
-- uses: disk brakes, gas
turbine exhaust flaps, nose
cones.

(b)

C fibers:
very stiff
very strong

C matrix:
less stiff
view onto plane less strong

Other variations:
-- Discontinuous, random 3D
-- Discontinuous, 1D

Structural

(a)

Ec = EmVm + KEfVf
efficiency factor:
-- random 2D: K = 3/8 (2D isotropy)
-- random 3D: K = 1/5 (3D isotropy)

fibers lie
in plane

Looking at strength:
l lC

cd

lC
'

Vf 1

m 1Vf
2
l

where f is fiber fracture strength

& m is matrix stress when composite fails

'

l lC

cd '

l C

V f m' 1 V f
d

where: d is fiber diameter &

C is smaller of Matrix Fiber shear strength

or matrix shear yield strength

Composite Survey: Structural

Particle-reinforced

Fiber-reinforced

Structural

Stacked and bonded fiber-reinforced sheets

-- stacking sequence: e.g., 0/90or 0/45/90
-- benefit: balanced, in-plane stiffness

Sandwich panels
-- low density, honeycomb core
-- benefit: light weight, large bending stiffness
face sheet
adhesive layer
honeycomb
Adapted from Fig. 16.18,
Callister 7e. (Fig. 16.18 is
from Engineered Materials
Handbook, Vol. 1, Composites, ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1987.)

Adapted from Fig.

16.16, Callister 7e.