SITI HAJAR SHEIKH MD FADZULLAH

hajar@utem.edu.my

ITEM

CRITERIA

PRECENTAGE
(%)

COURSE WORK
MID SEMESTER
EXAMINATION

1.5 hour (w7/w9)

20

ASSIGNMENT,
REPORT
AND QUIZ

Group Assignment
a. Group Assignment
b. Individual Assignment
c. 2 Quiz

10
10
10

FINAL EXAMINATION
EXAM
TOTAL

2.5 3.0 hours

50
100
2

Week
1
2&3

Chapter
CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Composites
CHAPTER 2 :Introduction to Advanced Materials
CHAPTER 3 :Basic Constituents Materials in
Composites

CHAPTER 4: Manufacturing Processes

CHAPTER 5 : Properties and Applications of FRP

6& 7
8

Remarks

Quiz 1

CHAPTER 6: Nanomaterials
MID SEMESTER BREAK

9&10

CHAPTER 7 :Biomaterials

11&12

CHAPTER 8 : Electric and Magnetic Materials

13

CHAPTER 9 :Refractory Materials

14

CHAPTER 10: Surface Engineering

15

CHAPTER 11: Powder Metallurgy

Note :W7/W9: Mid Semester Exam (20%)

Individual Assignment

Quiz 2

Group Assignment

The idea of composite materials is not a new or recent one.

Nature is full of examples wherein the idea of composite
materials is used.
The coconut palm leaf, for example, is essentially a
cantilever using the concept of fiber reinforcement.
Wood is a fibrous composite: cellulose fibers in a lignin
matrix. The 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 is yet another example of a natural composite that
supports the weight of various members of the body. It
consists of short and soft collagen fibers embedded in a
mineral matrix called apatite.
5

Hard wood
Coconut leaf
Human bone

A combination of two or more materials

(reinforcing elements, fillers, and composite
matrix binder), differing in form or
composition on a macro-scale.
Normally, the components can be physically
identified and exhibit an interface between
one another.
MATRIX +REINFORCEMENT =COMPOSITES
7

Based on matrix materials:

- PMC,MMC,CMC
Function : electrical etc.
Geometry of reinforcements:
- Particle reinforced, Fibre reinforced,
structural.

Composites

Polymer Matrix
Material (PMC)

Metal Matrix
Material (MMC)

Thermoset

Rubber

Thermoplastic
(T/P)

Crystalline

Ceramic Matrix
Material (CMC)

Non-crystalline
(Amorphous)

PMC :
The most common matrix materials are
polymeric.
Reasons: ease of processing (need not
high pressures and high temperatures)
The main disadvantages:
Low
working
temperatures,
high
coefficient of thermal expansion,
dimensional instability and sensitivity to
moisture and radiation.

10

MMC:
In comparison to PMC, MMC have higher
transverse strength and stiffness, greater shear
and compressive strengths and better high
temperature capabilities, non-inflammable,
high electrical and thermal conductivities and
resistance to radiations.

11

CMC:
One of the main reasons to produce CMC is to
increase the toughness.
Examples of materials: alumina and silicon
carbide.
Problems/issues with CMC:
The processing is more complex, therefore the
improvement in toughness is associated with
an extra cost burden.

12

13

Particulate reinforcements:
have dimensions that are equal in all directions, with
the shape being either spherical, cubic, platelet or any
regular or irregular geometry; with the orientation
either random or with preferred orientation.
A fibrous reinforcement is characterized by its length
being much greater than its cross-sectional
dimension, known as the aspect ratio.
In single layer composites, long fibres with high
aspect ratio are called continuous fibre reinforced
composites; whilst the discontinuous fibre composites
are fabricated using short fibres of low aspect ratio.

14

The frequently encountered preferred

orientation in the case of a continuous fibre
composite is termed unidirectional and the
corresponding random situation can be
approximated to by bidirectional woven
reinforcement.
Multilayered composites are another
category of FRP, classified either as laminates
or hybrids.
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(a) Longitudinal
direction
(b) Transverse
direction
(c )Throughthickness
direction
16

Laminates are sheet constructions which are

made by stacking layers/plies or laminae and
usually unidirectional in a specific sequence.

(a) Tapes containing aligned fibers can be joined to produce a multi-layered different
orientations to produce a quasi-isotropic composite. In this case, a 0/+45/90
composite is formed.

17

(a)

(b)

(a) Typical example of a honeycomb core sandwich panel, consisting of two layers
of face-sheet, sandwiched between the core in the form of a honeycomb core,
with the application of adhesive layers in between.
(b) The fabricated sandwich panel
18

19

Hybrids are usually multilayered composites with

mixed fibres and are becoming commonplace. The
fibres maybe mixed in a ply or layer by layer and these
composites are designed to benefit from the different
properties of the fibres employed.
An example of this is a mixture of glass and carbon
fibres incorporated into a polymer matrix gives a
relatively inexpensive composite, owing to the low
cost of the glass fibres, but with mechanical
properties enhanced by the excellent stiffness of
carbon. Some hybrids have a mixture of fibrous and
particulate reinforcement.
20

21

22

is the constituent that is continuous and is often but

not always, present on the greater quantity
in
the composite.
is the properties of the matrix that are improved
by incorporating another constituent to produce
a composite.
Matrix material may be based on ceramic, metallic
or polymeric material.
Typically, polymers have low strength and Youngs
Moduli, ceramic are strong, stiff and brittle and
metals have intermediate strengths and moduli
together with good ductility i.e. they are not brittle.

23

is the second constituent in a composite system,

usually referred to as the reinforcing phase or
reinforcement, since it enhances or reinforces
the mechanical properties of the matrix.
In most cases, the reinforcement is harder,
stronger and stiffer than the matrix, with some
exceptions; i.e. ductile metal reinforcement in a
ceramic matrix or rubberlike reinforcement in
brittle polymer matrix.
The reinforcement is usually describe as being
either fibrous or particulate.

24

The fabrication and properties of composites are

strongly influenced by the proportions and
properties of the matrix and the reinforcements.
The proportions can be expressed either via the
weight fraction (w), relevant to fabrication, or
via the volume fraction (v), which is commonly
used in the property calculation.
The definitions of w and v are related simply to
the ratio of weight (W) or volume (V) as shown as
follows:

25

Volume fractions

And
=

Law of Mixtures

Weight fractions
=

And

Where the subscripts m, f, and c refer to the matrix, fibre (or reinforcement)
and composites respectively.
We note that
+ = 1

And

+ = 1
= +
As = V, = +
Or

= +
26

It may be shown that

1
=
+

Also,
=

Similarly,

=
=

Therefore, a generalized form of the equation is

= +
Where represents an appropriate property of the composite, known as
the Law of Mixtures.
27

A unidirectional composite is composed of 65% by

volume of carbon fibres (modulus 240 GPa) in an
epoxy resin matrix (modulus 4GPa). Calculate the
longitudinal modulus of the composite.
Using the Rule of Mixtures,
11 = +

Here, = 0.65 and hence =0.35,

11 = 0.65x240 + ( 0.35x4)
= 156 + 1.4
= 157.4 GPa
28

Compare the longitudinal and transverse stiffness

of two composites with the same matrix but
different fibres. In the first case, Ef/Em=50 and in
the second case, Ef/Em = 25. Take = 0.50 .
Now,

11 = +
Or
11
=
+

Also,

1
=
+
22

29

Or,

=
+
22

For

11
= 0.5x 0.5 + 0.5 = 25.5,

0.5
25.5
=
+ 0.5 =
22 50
50,

Or
22 0.5
13
=
+ 0.5 =

25
25

So, we can see here

that for this volume
fraction, changing
the fibre to one with
double the modulus
results in a doubling
of the composites
longitudinal Modulus,
but in only about 2%
increase in the
composites
transverse modulus.

22
= 1.92

Also,
11 13.0
=
= 6.77
1.92

30

Effect of fiber orientation on the tensile strength of Eglass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites.
31

2003 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Increasing the length of chopped E-glass fibers in an epoxy

matrix increases the strength of the composite. In this
example, the volume fraction of glass fibers is about 0.5.

32

Improved properties (thermal, mechanical,

electrical, etc.)
Example:
PMCs vs. metals: low density,. Therefore,
higher specific modulus, (E/ ) and specific
strength; reduced weight leading to greater
energy efficiency (transport) and cost
savings.
33

34

Matthew, F.L., and Rawling, R.D., (2003).

Composite Materials: Engineering and
Science, Woodhead Publishing Limited. Chapter 1: Overview- pg 1-28
Chawla, Krishan Kumar. Composite materials:
Science and Engineering. Springer, 2012.Chapter 1 : Introduction- pg 1-4

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