Composite Materials
Introduction
• A Composite material is a material system composed of
two or more macro constituents that differ in shape and
chemical composition and which are insoluble in each
other. The history of composite materials dates back to
early 20th century. In 1940, fiber glass was first used to
reinforce epoxy.
• Applications:
– Aerospace industry
– Sporting Goods Industry
– Automotive Industry
– Home Appliance Industry
Advanced Aerospace Application:
Lear Fan 2100 “all-composite” aircraft
Advanced Aerospace Application:
Boeing 767 (and in 777, 787 airplanes w/ the latest, full wing box is composite):
Composite Survey
C om p os ites
P artic le-rein forc ed F ib er-rein forc ed S tru c tu ral
L arg e- D is p ers ion - C on tin u ou s D is c on tin u ou s L am in ates S an d w ic h
p artic le s tren g th en ed (alig n ed ) (s h ort) p an els
A lig n ed R an d om ly
orien ted Adapted from Fig.
16.2, Callister 7e.
Particle-reinforced
Composites
• A particle has no long dimension.
• Particle composites consist of particles of one material dispersed in
a matrix of a second material.
• Particles may have any shape or size, but are generally spherical,
ellipsoidal, polyhedral, or irregular in shape.
• They may be added to a liquid matrix that later solidifies; grown in
place by a reaction such as age hardening; or they may be pressed
together and then inter-diffused via a powder process.
• The particles may be treated to be made compatible with the matrix,
or they may be incorporated without such treatment.
• Particles are most often used to extend the strength or other
properties of inexpensive materials by the addition of other
materials.
Fiber-reinforced Composites
• A fiber has one long dimension.
• Fiber-reinforced materials are typified by fiberglass in which there
are three components: glass filaments (for mechanical strength), a
polymer matrix (to encapsulate the filaments); and a bonding agent
(to bind the glass to the polymer).
• Other fibers include metal, ceramics, and polymers.
• The fibers can be used as continuous lengths, in staple-fiber form,
or as whiskers (short, fine, perfect, or nearly perfect single crystals).
• Fiber-reinforcement depends as much on fabrication procedure as
on materials.
Structural Composites
• Structural composites are engineered products made from plastic,
wood, glass, or carbon fiber materials.
• The formed or extruded products have applications as outdoor deck
floors, railings, fences, landscape timbers, cladding, siding,
moulding, trim, and window or door frames.
• These low maintenance products are resistant to cracking and can
be smooth or have a simulated wood grain.
• Available in a variety of colors and sizes, structural composites are
shaped using typical woodworking tools.
Laminar Composites
• Platelets or lamina have two long dimensions.
• Laminar composites include plywood, which is a laminated
composite of thin layers of wood in which successive layers have
different grain or fiber orientations.
• The result is a more-or-less isotropic composite sheet that is weaker
in any direction than it would be if the fibers were all aligned in one
direction.
• The stainless steel in a cooking vessel with a copper-clad bottom
provides corrosion resistance while the copper provides better heat
distribution over the base of the vessel.
Composite Manufacturing
Processes
• There are three types of composite
manufacturing processes: open molding, closed
molding and cast polymer molding.
• There are a variety of processing methods within
these molding categories, each with its own
benefits.
Open Molding
• In open molding, raw materials (resins and fiber reinforcements) are
exposed to air as they cure or harden.
• Tooling cost for open molds is often inexpensive, making it possible
to use this technique for prototype and short production runs.
• Open molding utilizes different processes, including hand lay-up,
spray-up, casting, and filament winding.
• Hand Lay-up
– Hand lay-up is the most common and least expensive open-
molding method because it requires the least amount of
equipment. Fiber reinforcements are placed by hand in a mold
and resin is applied with a brush or roller. This process is used
to make both large and small items, including boats, storage
tanks, tubs and showers.
• Spray-up
– Spray-up is similar to hand lay-up but uses special
equipment—most notably a chopper gun—to cut
reinforcement material into short fibers, add them to
resin and deposit the mixture (called chop) on to a
molding surface. Spray-up is more automated than
hand lay-up and is typically used to produce large
quantities.
• Filament Winding
– Filament winding is an automated process that applies resin-
saturated, continuous strands of fiber reinforcements over a
rotating cylindrical mold. It’s used for creating hollow products
like rocket motor casings, pipes, stacks, and chemical storage
tanks. Filament winding is less labor-intense than other open-
molding processes.
Closed Molding
• In closed-molding, raw materials (fibers and resin) cure inside a two-
sided mold or within a vacuum bag (shut off from air).
• Composite materials are processed and cured inside a vacuum bag
or a two-sided mold, closed to the atmosphere.
• Closed-molding processes are usually automated and require
special equipment, so they’re mainly used in large plants that
produce huge volumes of material—up to 500,000 parts a year.
• Closed molding may be considered for two cases: first, if a two-
sided finish is needed; and second, if high production volumes are
required.
• Vacuum Bag Molding
– This manufacturing process is designed to improve the mechanical
properties of laminate (two or more layers of fiber reinforcement bonded
with a resin). A vacuum is created to force out trapped air and excess
resin, compacting the laminate. High-fiber concentration provides better
adhesion (between layers of sandwich construction). In addition,
vacuum bag molding helps eliminate excess resin that builds up when
structures are made using (open-molding) hand lay-up techniques.
• Vacuum Infusion Processing
– Vacuum infusion processing (VIP) is a technique that uses
vacuum pressure to drive resin into a laminate. Vacuum infusion
is typically used to manufacture very large structures. Vacuum
infusion produces strong, lightweight laminates and offers
substantial emissions reductions (compared to open-molding
processing and wet lay-up vacuum bagging). This process uses
the same low-cost tooling as open molding and requires minimal
equipment.
• Resin Transfer Molding
– Resin transfer molding (RTM), sometimes called liquid molding,
is a closed-molding method in which reinforcement material is
loaded into a closed mold, the mold is clamped, and resin is
pumped in (through injection ports) under pressure. This
process produces complex parts with smooth finishes on all
exposed surfaces. The process can be simple or highly
automated–and cycle times are speedy. By laying up
reinforcement material dry inside the mold, any combination of
materials and orientation can be used, including 3-D
reinforcements.
• Compression Molding
– Compression molding is a manufacturing process in which
composite materials are sandwiched between two matching
molds under intense pressure and heat (from 250° to 400° F)
until the part cures. This technique is used to rapidly cure large
quantities of complex fiberglass-reinforced polymer parts.
Compression molding features fast molding cycles and high part
uniformity. The process can be automated. In addition, labor
costs are low and it provides design flexibility and nice surface
finishes.
• Pultrusion
– Pultrusion is used to form composites into long, consistent
shapes like rods or bars. Continuous strands of reinforcement
are pulled through a resin bath to saturate them, then pulled
through heated steel molds that sculpt the composites into
continuous lengths. The process operates continuously so it can
be readily automated. Labor costs are low and finished products
are very strong. Pultrusion is used to make products such as
beams, channels, pipes, tubing, fishing rods and golf club shafts.
• Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding
– Reinforced reaction injection molding (RRIM) is widely used to
make external and internal automotive parts. In this process, two
(or more) resins are heated separately and combined with milled
glass fibers. The mixture is injected into a mold under high
pressure and compressed. The resin cures quickly. RRIM
composites feature many processing advantages, including very
fast cycle time, low labor, low mold-clamping pressure and low
scrap rate. The RRIM process requires special resins and
reinforcements.
• Centrifugal Casting
– In centrifugal casting, reinforcements and resin are deposited
against the inside surface of a rotating mold. Centrifugal force
holds them in place until the material cures or hardens.
Centrifugal casting is used to produce hollow parts (like pipes
with two smooth surfaces). It’s especially well-suited for
producing structures with large diameters, such as pipes for oil
and chemical industry installations and chemical storage tanks.
Centrifugal casting is increasingly being used to produce
telephone, street light and other poles.
• Continuous Lamination
– Continuous lamination is used to make flat or corrugated sheets
and panels for products used in truck and RV sidewalls, road
signs, skylights, building panels and electrical insulating
materials. It’s a highly automated process in which fibers and
resin are combined, sandwiched between two plastic carrier
films—and guided through a conveyor process. Forming rollers
shape the sheets, and the resin is cured (in an oven or heating
zone) to form the composite panel. Panels are automatically
trimmed to the desired width and length.
Cast Polymer Molding
• A mixture of resin and fillers are poured into a mold
(typically without reinforcements) and left to cure or
harden.
• Cast polymers are unique in the composites industry:
they typically don’t have fiber reinforcement and are
designed to meet specific strength requirements of an
application. Cast polymer molding is used to produce
parts of any shape or size.
• These molding methods sometimes use open molding
and sometimes use closed molding.
• Gel Coated Cultured Stone Molding
– Gel coat is a specialized polyester resin that is
formulated to provide a cosmetic outer surface on a
composite product, and to provide weather-ability for
outdoor products. Gel coat consists of a base resin
and additives.
• Solid Surface Molding
– Solid surface products (also known as densified
products) consist of a cast matrix without a gel-coated
surface. A vacuum can be used to remove entrapped
air in the matrix. Solid surface products offer limitless
design styles.
