Chapter 6— Composite Materials Chapter VI Composite Materials Many of our modern technologies require materials with unusual combination of properties that cannot be met by the conventional metal alloys, ceramies, and polymeric materials. Material property combinations and ranges have been, and are yet being, extended by the development of composite material. Generally speaking, a Composite is considered to be any multiphase material that exhibits a significant proportion of the properties of both constituent phases such that a better Eombination of properties is realized According to these principles of contained action, better property combinations are fashioned by the judicious combination of two or more distinct materials. Property trades-offs are also made for many composites. Composites of sorts have already been discussed; these include multiphase metal alloys, ceramics and polymers. There are also a number of composites that occur in nature. For example, both consist of strong and flexible cellulose fibers surrounded and-held together by a stiffer material called lignin. Also bone is a composite of the strong yet soft protein collagen and the hard, brittle mineral apatite, A composite, in the present complex, is a multi-phase material that is artificially made, as opposed to one that occurs or forms naturally In designing composite materials, scientist and engineers have ingeniously combined various metals, ceramics and polymers to produce a new generation of Sxtraordinary materials. Most composites have been created to improved Combinations of mechanical characteristics such as stiffness, toughness, and ambient and high temperature strength. Many composite materials are composed of just two phases, one is termed the Matrix which is continuous and surrounds the other phase, often called the Dispersed Phase or Reinforcement. The Matrix is the continuous phase of the composite material. It holds the reinforcement to form the desired shape. A variety of materials - polymers (thermosets and thermoplastics), metal and their alloys, inter metallics, glasses, glass-ceramics, and crystalline ceramics — can be used as matrices. The Reinforcement is the distributed phase of a composite material. It includes organic fibers such as polyethylene and ceramic, metallic fibers, and ceramic figers and particles. The reinforcement improves the over all mechanical properties of the matrix. nChapter 6 - Composite Materials Properties of Composite Materials The advantages of using composite materials can be seen by looking at the many advantageous properties they have. 1. Excellent strength to weight ration (strength/density) 2. Excellent stiffness to weight ration (modulus/density) 3. Layers of laminate can be built up to give differing required mechanical properties in different directions 4. Composites can be made to almost any shape, consequently the part count of complex structures is decreased. 5. Composite materials can incorporate resistance to chemicals, corrosion and outdoor weathering, Composite Material or Composite — is a complex solid material composed of two or more materials that on a macroscopic scale forms a useful material. The composite is designed to exhibit the best properties or qualities of its constituents or some properties possessed by neither. Composite Materials are composed of two phases: 4. Matrix — the phase that is continuous or completly surrounds the other phase, 2. Dispersed phase (Reinforcement) or Particulates — the discontinuous phase Three Main Divisions of Composites: 1. Particle — reinforced composites 2. Fiber — reinforced composites 3. Structural composites Particle-Reinforced Composites is a composite for hwich the dispersed phase is equiaxed (i. particle dimensions are approximately the same in all directions) Fiber-Reinforced Composite is a composite in which the dispersed phase is in the form ofa fiber (i. a filament that has a large length to diameter ratio) Structural Composite is a composite that the properties of which depend on the geometrical design of the structural elements. ‘Two sub-classes of structural compo: 1. Laminar composite — a series of two —dimensional sheets, each having a preferred high strength direction, fastened one on top of the other at different orientations; strength in the plane of the laminate is highly isotropic. rRChapter 6 - Composite Materials 2. Sandwich Panel —a type of structure consisting of two stiff and strong outer faces that are separated by a lightweight core material. Fiber-Reinforced Composite — is a material system made primarily of varying amount of particular fiber reinforcement embedded in a protective material called matrix, with a coupling agent applied to the fiber to improve the adhesion of the fiber with the matrix material. Constituents of Fiber-Reinforced Composites 1. Fiber — is the basic individual filament of raw materials form which the threads of fabrics are made. Fibers can be organic (plant, animal and minerals) or metallic 2. Matrix — the function of matrix, the binder material, whether organic, ceramic or metallic, is to support and protect the fibers. Types of Reinforcing Fibers 7. Glass Fibers — are made by the letting molten glass drop through minute orifices and then alternating them by air jet. a, E-Glass- is the first glass developed for use as continuous fiber. itis composed of silica, calcium oxide, aluminum oxide and boron oxide and is the standard grade of glass used in the fiber glass having tensile strength and high resistivity. b. S-Glass — was developed for high tensile strength application in the aerospace industry. It is one-third stronger than e-glass and is composed of silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide. 2. Boron Fiber - are composites with tungsten, silica coated with graphite, or carbon filaments as substrate upon which boron is deposited by a vapor deposition process. 3, Carbon and Graphite Fibers — graphite and diamond are aliotropes of carbon, as are amorphous forms of carbon such as coke and charcoal Both graphite and diamonds have very high melting points Pyrolysis - is the thermal decomposition of a polymer specifically used for the fabrication of carbon and graphite fiber. 4. Kevlar Fiber — an organic fiber introduced in 1972 by DUPONT for use in radial tires, is an aramid, an aromatic polyamide fiber.Chapter 6 - Composite Materials 5. Ceramic Fiber — both continuous and discontinuous ceramic fibers that are based in oxide, carbide and nitride compositions make up most of the production of these fibers. Their development was started by the need for high temperature reinforcing fiber in composition for the aerospace industry. MMC (Metal-Matrix Composite) — a composite material which has a metal or metal alloy as the matrix phase. The dispersed phase may be particulates, fibers or whiskers which normally are stiffer, stronger, and/or harder than the matrix. CMC (Ceramic-Matrix Composite) — a composite for which both matrix and dispersed phases are ceramic materials. The dispersed phase is normally added to improve fracture toughness Cermet — a composite material consisting of a combination of ceramic and metallic materials. The most common cermets are the cemented by a ductile metal such as cobalt or nickel Concrete is a composite material consisting of aggregate particles bound together in a solid body by cement Hybrid Composite is a composite that is fiber reinforced by two or more type of fibers (e.g. glass and carbon) Four Types of Hybrid Composites: 1. Interply — consists of plies from the two or more different unidirectional composites stacked in a specific sequence. 2. Intraply — consist of two or more different fibers mixed in the same ply. 3. Interply/intraply — are hybrids, which are stacked in a specific sequence. 4. Super Hybrid — is resin-matrix composite plies and metal-matrix composite plies stacked in a specific sequence. Fabricatrion Methods of Composites. 4. Contact Molding — Hand Lay-up is the simplest of all the methods Using a single, inexpensive mold, reinforcing mat or fabric is placed in the mold and saturated with resin by hand. Layers are built up to the desired thickness to form a laminate that is cured at room temperature. 74Chapter 6 Composite Materials 2, Matched Metal-Diemolding — for mass producing high strength parts limited in size by the press equipment uses pressures of about 1.72 Mpa and temperature of about 120°C. 3. Injection Molding and Resin Transfer Molding — is high volume molding processes for both thermoplastics and thermosetting plastic resin 4. Filament winding — is a process by which continuous reinforcing fibers are accurately positioned in predetermined pattern to forma hallow (usually cylindrical) shape. 5. Pultrusion — is a composite fabrication method by which an extremely long fiber-reinforce polymer matric material can be produced by pulling a fiber or a bundle of continuous filaments through a resin system for impregnation and then through a heated curing die Prepreg is the composite industry's term for continuous fiber reinforcement preimpregnated with a polymer resin that is only partially cured. Whisker is a very thin, single crystal of high perfection which has an extremely large length-to- diameter ratio. ignificance/importance of using composite materials: To increase stiffness, strength or dimensional stability To increase toughness (impact strength) To increase heat-deflection temperature To increase mechanical damping To reduce permeability to gases and liquids. To modify electrical properties (eg. Increase electrical resistivity) To reduce cost To decrease water absorption To decrease thermal expansion 10.To increase chemical wear and corrosion resistance 11.To reduce weight 12.To maintain strength/stiffness at high temperatures while under strain conditions in a corrosive environment 13.To increase secondary uses and recyclability, and to reduce negative impact on the environment. 14.To improve design flexibility. ©eNonSeNG Applications of composite: 1. Aircraft - military, home built, experimental and commercial aricraft have used composites materials for years. 75Chapter 6 - Composite Materials 2. Art—stage sets, amusement parks, museums, and zoos find fiberglass easy to use and able to withstand outdeer environments when necessary. 3, Automotive — beyond simple repair, car and motorcycle racing have used composites extensively. Buses, trucks and bicycles have found increasing use for composites 4. Industrial — the unique corrosion-resistance, strength to weight, electrical conductivity, and formability of composites lend themselves to an increasing withstand prolonged exposure to water, salt, gasoline, chlorine, and ultra violet light is critical