Introduction to Composite Materials

and Application in Modern Technology

Dr. G. Narayana Naik

Department of Aerospace Engineering

Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore - 560 012, India
 Introduction
➢ It is true that technological development depends on
advances in the field of materials

➢ The most advanced Turbine or Aircraft design is of no use if

adequate materials to bear the service loads and conditions
are not available

➢ Whatever field may be, the final limitation on advancement

depends on materials

➢ Composite materials in this regard represent a giant step in

the optimization in materials

➢ The idea of composite materials is not recent one

➢ The nature is full of examples wherein the idea of composite

materials is used
 Natural Composite Materials
➢ Coconut palm leaf - is a cantilever using the concept of fiber
reinforcement

➢ Wood – is a fibrous composite – cellulose fibers in a lignin matrix

➢ Cellulose fibers have high tensile strength but are very flexible(i.e., low
stiffness), while the lignin matrix joins the fibers and furnishes the
stiffness.

➢ Bone – natural composite

Engineering Composite materials

1. Carbon block in rubber

2. Cement or asphalt mixed with sand

3. Glass fibers in resin

 History of Composites
➢ Composite materials as the beginning of 1960

➢ 80% of R&D effort in composites has been done since 1965

➢ Since then, there has been demand for materials of stiffer &
stronger yet lighter in fields as diverse as space, aeronautics,
energy, civil construction, marine, automobile etc.

➢ Overall performance of the materials are so great & diverse

that no one material is able to satisfy them.

➢ This led to a resurgence of the ancient concept of combining

different materials

➢ Such composite material systems offer the great advantage of

flexible design
➢ That is, tailor make the material as per specifications of an
optimum design
➢ Composites have introduced fluidity to design engineering, in
effect forcing the designer-analyst to create a different
material for each application for savings in weight & cost
➢ In fact our society has become very energy conscious
➢ This has led to an increasing demand for lightweight yet
strong and stiff structures in all walks of life
Long history of usage, their beginnings are not known
➢ Straw was used by the Isralites to strengthen mud bricks
➢ Ply wood was used to achieve superior strength and
resistance to thermal expansion as well as to swelling owing
to the presence of moisture
➢ Medieval Swords & Armor were constructed with layers of
different materials
➢ Glass fiber reinforced resins have been in use since 1920
 What is Composites?
➢ In this world, practically everything is a
composite material.

➢ Combination of two or more materials which

are Physically and/or Chemically distinct,
suitably arranged or distributed phases with
an interface separating them.

➢ Property of the composite material is

different than the either constituents.

➢ These can be tailored to our requirements.

 How Composites are useful?
➢ Composite Materials can be tailored according to
our requirement
➢ Optimization in materials usage

➢ Use of composites help in minimization of

wastages (25% - 50%)
➢ Easily mouldable to any shape and size

➢ FRC are stronger and stiffer in the fibrous form

than in any other form (e.g. bulk form)
➢ Fibers are stronger and stiffer in longitudinal
direction than in transverse direction
 Why Composites?
➢ These exhibits very high Specific Strength
and Stiffness.

➢ Low weight, Corrosion resistance

➢ Wear resistance, Attractiveness, Fatigue

life, Thermal insulation.

➢ Temperature-dependent behavior, Thermal

conductivity, Acoustical insulation
 Why Composites are better?
➢ Majority of material is stronger and stiffer in the fiber form
than in any other form, there is great attraction of fiber
reinforcements
➢ The use of fibers for engineering materials is based
on three important characteristics.
➢The small diameter with respect to its grain size and
smaller the diameter stronger the fibers.

➢The high aspect ratio (length/diameter) which allows a

very large section of the applied load to be transferred
via the matrix material to stiff and strong fibers.

➢The very high degree of flexibility is having a high

modulus and small diameter.
Specific Strengths and Stiffnesses
 Densities of some materials
Substance Density(g/cm3)

Air 0.0013
Gasoline 0.7
Wood 0.85
Water (ice) 0.92
Water (liquid) 1.0
Aluminum 2.7
Steel 7.8
Silver 10.5
Lead 11.3
Mercury 13.5
Gold 19.3
 Definitions

➢ Specific Strength = Allowable Stress / Density

➢ Specific Stiffness = Young’s Modulus / Density

➢ Strength = Ultimate Stress = Ultimate load / Area

➢ Stress = Applied Load /Area

➢ Stiffness = Load / Deflection

Specific Strengths and Stiffnesses
Application of Composites in different fields
Applications of Composites
Cost Comparison of Different Composites Materials
Classification of Composites

➢ 1. Fibrous composites

➢ 2. Flake Composites

➢ 3. Laminated composites

➢ 4. Particulate composites
1. Fibrous composites
➢ Long fibers in various forms are
inherently stiffer and stronger than the
same material in the bulk form

➢ Perfect structure of the fiber, crystals

are aligned in the fiber along the fiber
axis, few internal defects.
Fibrous Composites
2. Flake Composites
➢ Size,
shape and material of the flake
depend on the application

➢ Aluminum flakes used in molded

plastics parts - decorations and etc.
Flake Composites
3. Laminated composites
➢ Consists of layers of at least two
different materials, to achieve more
useful material.

➢ Bimetal,clad metals, laminated glasses,

plastic based laminates, laminated
fibrous composites etc.
Laminated Composites
4. Particulate composites
➢ Particles of one or more materials suspended
in a matrix of another material. Particles can
either be metallic or nonmetallic or in
combinations.

➢ Nonmetallic in metallic Composites, Metallic in

metallic composites, Metallic in nonmetallic
composites, Nonmetallic in nonmetallic
composites etc.
Particulate Composites
 Characteristics of Composites
➢ Concentration:- Measure of volume or weight
fraction, important parameter which influences
properties, easily controllable.

➢ Concentration Distribution:- Measure of

uniformity, important in determining Physical and
Mechanical properties. Avoid non-uniformity – failure
at weakest link – responsible in low strength.

➢ Orientation:- Affects the isotropy of the system,

particle form - isotropic, FRC - UD or Cross ply –
anisotropy.
Stress – Strain Curves
Stress- Strain Curves
 Different Types of Fibers
➢ Glass Fibers – Common glass fibers are silica based(50-
60% silica)

➢ Boron Fibers - Chemical vapor deposition of boron on a

substrate

➢ Carbon Fibers - Very light fiber, Crystalline forms,

hexagonal layers are called graphite structures, diamond.

➢ Organic Fibers - Kevlar(Aramid) fibers, Nylon

➢ Ceramic Fibers - Chemical vapor deposition, polymer

pyrolysis and sol-gel techniques from organometallic
polymers.

➢ Metallic Fibers - Beryllium, Steel, Tungsten

 Glass Fibers
➢ Polymer Matrices, Silica(50-60% SiO2), and contain other
oxides of calcium, boron, sodium, aluminum and iron.
➢

➢ Cheap, chopped strand, continuous yarn, roving, fabric..

➢

➢ E-glass: E-electrical, it is good for electrical insulation,

➢ C-glass: C-corrosion, it has better resistance to chemical
corrosion
➢

➢ S-glass: S-high silica(65%), it is good for high temperature.

➢

➢ Density- 2550 Kg/m3 ; Tensile Strength - 1750 MPa;

➢ Young’s Modulus - 70 GPa;
➢ Coefficient of thermal expansion- 4.7e-6 (Kelvin's)
➢ Diameter – 20 - 50 m
 Glass Fibers - Applications
➢ Building construction Industry (load bearing,
walls, window frams, tanks), boat hulls,
Chemical industry (storage tanks, pipelines,
pressure vessels), Rail and Road transport
industry, Aerospace Industry etc.

➢ Strength reduces – exposed to moisture,

➢ Susceptible to static fatigue – cannot
withstand to long time load
 Boron Fibers
➢ Inherently brittle material
➢ Show a distribution of strengths than single value
➢ Density - 2340Kg/m3 ; Tensile Strength - 3-4 GPa; Young’s
Modulus-380-400 GPa.
➢ Diameter – 100 – 406 m
➢ Complex internal stress and defects - voids, discontinuities
➢ Boron fiber strength < boron strength
➢ Used in US military aircraft- F-14, F-15, Space Shuttle.
➢ Stiffening golf shafts, tennis rackets, bicycle frames etc.
➢ Too costly – tungsten substrate
 Carbon Fibers
➢ Very light fiber, exists in variety of crystalline forms,
(1)hexagonal layers - graphite structures, (2)arranged in 3-D
configuration - covalent diamond structure.
➢ Carbon in the Graphite form is highly anisotropic with -
Young’s Modulus 1000 GPa –longitudinal; 35 GPa- transverse
directions.
➢ Density of Carbon varies with the precursor and the thermal
treatment
➢ Density - 1600 - 2268Kg/m3 - thermal treatment
➢ High tensile strength but medium Young’s modulus (HT)
fibers (2 - 3 GPa)
➢ High Young’s modulus fibers (HM) (400 GPa)
➢ Super High Tensile Strength (SHT) fibers (>4 GPa)
➢ Super high Modulus (SHM) fibers ( >400 GPa)
 Carbon Fibers - Applications
➢ Aerospace, sporting goods applications.
➢ US- cargo bay doors, booster rockets casings
in space shuttle.
➢ Machinery -Turbines, compressor, windmill
blades, flywheels.
➢ Medicine - equipment, implant (knees, hip
joints)
➢ Good Electrical conductors
 Organic Fibers
➢ Strong Covalent carbon-carbon bond - fibers are very strong
and stiff - orientation of polymer chains with respect to the
fiber axis
➢ Aramid fiber - class of synthetic organic fibers - aromatic
polyamide fibers - Kevlar.
➢ Nylon - long chain polyamide.
➢ Kevlar(Aramid) fibers - rigid(rodlike) polymers – strong
covalent bond in the fiber direction and weak hydrogen bond
in the transverse direction - anisotropic property
➢ Kevlar - Rubber for tires, belts, rubber goods.
➢ Kevlar 29 - Ropes, cables, coated fabrics, architectural fabrics,
ballistic protection fabrics.
➢ Kevlar 49 - Reinforcement of epoxy, polyester, resins for use
in Aerospace, Marine, Automotive, Sports Industries.
 Organic Fibers
Properties Kevlar 29 Kevlar 49
Density(Kg/m3) 1440 1440
Diameter(m) 12 12
Tensile Strength(GPa) 2.8 2.8
Strain to fracture(%) 4.0 2.3
Young’s Modulus(GPa) 65 125

◼ Undergo Photodegradation – exposed to ultraviolet light - loss

in properties – minimised by coating with light absorbing
materials.
◼ Properties of Kevlar and Kevlar 29 are same
◼ Kevlar having better durability
◼ Kevlar-poor in compression (1/8 tensile) - buckling, kinking.
◼ Hybrid composites – kevlar+carbon, carbon-compressive load
◼ Very good for impact resistance applications
 Ceramic Fibers
Properties Alumina Silicon Carbide
Diameter(m) 3-9 10 - 20
Density(Kg/m3) 3200 2600
Tensile Strength(MPa) 2600 2000
Young’s Modulus(GPa) 250 180

◼ Alumina fibers, Alumina & Silica fibers, Silicon Carbide fibers,

Silicon nitride, boron carbide, and boron nitride.

◼ Continuous Ceramic fibers have attractive properties - high

tensile strength and elastic modulus, high-temperature
capability, freedom from environmental attack, very much
useful in high-temperature structural materials.
 Different Types of Ceramic Fibers
➢ Alumina fibers – strength remains same at high temp.
➢ Silicon Carbide fibers- stiff & strong, cheap, Strength-8.4GPa,
Modulus-581 GPa
➢ Silicon Nitride – good properties, large diameter, expensive
➢ Boron Nitride – like carbon fibers, oxidation resistance,
dielectric properties.
➢ Boron carbide – very light and strong
 Metallic Fibers
◼ Metals in the form of fibers - high strength
◼ Beryllium(low density, high modulus), Steel(high strength,
low cost), Tungsten(high modulus, refractory).
◼ Main advantage - very consistent strength values
◼ Disadvantage – toxicity and high cost
Material Diameter Density Tensile Young’s
(m) (Kg/m3) Strength Modulus
(MPa) (GPa)
Steel 50 - 250 7800 4250 210
Beryllium 25 1850 1260 300
Tungsten 25 - 250 19300 3850 360
 Different types of Matrix Materials
Matrix Materials Epoxy Polyimide PEEK(Polyethe
retherketone)
Tensile Strength(MPa) 35 - 85 120 92
Flexural Modulus(MPa) 13 - 35 35 40
Density(Kg/m3) 1380 1460 1300
Coefficient of thermal
25 - 85 260-425 310
expansion(0C)

◼ Polymers - Structurally more complex than metals or

ceramics, cheap and easily processible, exhibit lower strength
and modulus and are low in temperature resistance. Prolonged
exposure to ultraviolet lights, solvents - properties degrade.
Polymers - more resistance to chemicals than metals.
------------ Structurally giant chainlike molecules
 Chain Configuration
➢ Linear Polymers:- long chain of atoms
➢ Branched Polymers:- polymer branching
➢ Cross linked Polymers: 3-D network, strong, rigid
➢ Ladder Polymers: Two linear polymers, rigid
 Metal Matrix Materials
Metals Density Tensile Young’s
(Kg/m3) Strength(MPa) Modulus(Gpa)
Aluminum 2700 200 70
Copper 8900 400 120
Nickel 8900 400 210
Steel 7800 420 210
◼ Strong & tough, can be plastically deformed and
strengthened by a wide variety of methods involving mostly
obstruction of movement of linear defects called dislocations
◼ Metals are crystalline, crystalline structures is never perfect.
(1) Point defects (zero dimensional) (2) Line defects
(unidimensional) (3) Planar or interfacial
defects(bidimensional) (4) Volume defects (tridimensional)
 Ceramic Matrix Materials
Young's Tensile Thermal
Density
Matrix Materials Modulus Strength Expansion
(Kg/m3) -06 -1
(GPa) (MPa) (10 K )
Lithium Alumino
Silicate Glass
Ceramic 2000 100 150 1.5
Megnesium
Alumino Silicate
Glass Ceramic 2500 120 170 2.5 - 5.5
Alumina
4000 400 300 8.5
Silicon Carbide 3200 440 310 4.8

◼ Very hard, consist of one or more metals with a nonmetal,

exhibit low failure strains and low toughness or fracture
energies, the main advantages - high elastic module, low
densities and can withstand very high temperatures (800º C
to 1000 ºC).
◼ Disadvantage - high brittleness
 Cement Matrix Materials
➢ Carbon fiber-cement matrix:, structural, functional
properties
➢ Carbon fibers help in increasing – tensile, flexural, ductile,
toughness, impact resistance,
 Carbon- Matrix Composites
➢ Carbon fiber –carbon matrix composite:- stronger, tougher,
more resistance to thermal and shock than graphite.
➢ Coefficient of thermal expansion is near zero
➢ Thermal conductivity, electrical resistance
➢ Disadvantage: high fabrication cost, poor oxidation
resistance, poor interlaminar properties, etc.