CHAPTER 9

9.1 INTRODUCTION
9.2 TYPES OF COMPOSITE
9.3 FABRICATION OF COMPOSITE
9.4 ELASTIC MODULUS OF FIBER-
REINFORCED-PLASTIC COMPOSITE

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9.1 Component of Composite Materials

• Macroscopic combinations of metallic, ceramic,

and/or polymeric materials having an identifiable
interface between them.
• It has characteristics that are not depicted by
any of the components in isolation
• Most commonly, composite materials consist of;
(i) matrix - a bulk phase, which is continuous
(ii) reinforcement - a dispersed, non-continuous,
phase which is usually harder and stronger.

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 Concept of composites :
• the bulk phase (matrix) accepts the load
over a large surface area, and transfers it
to the reinforcement, which being stiffer,
increases the strength of the composite.

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 1) Matrix

• Matrix serves :

binding the reinforcement phase in place

Deforming to distribute the stresses
among the constituent reinforcement
materials under an applied force

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 2) Reinforcement
Types of reinforcement : Glass, Carbon/Graphite,
Organic, Boron, Ceramic, Metallic

• Reinforcing constituents in composites

provide strength

heat resistance / conduction

Resistance to corrosion

Provide rigidity
must be stronger and stiff than matrix &
capable of changing failure mechanism.

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 3) Interface
• The interface is a bounding surface or
zone where a discontinuity occurs,
whether physical, mechanical, chemical
etc.
• The matrix material must "wet" the fiber.
Coupling agents are frequently used to
improve wettability. Well "wetted" fibers
increase the interface surface area.

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• To obtain desirable properties in a
composite, the applied load should be
effectively transferred from the matrix to
the fibers via the interface .
• Bonding with the matrix can be either
weak Van der Walls forces or strong
covalent bonds.

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 9.2 Types of composites

• Composite are classified firstly according to

the matrix.
• In addition – classified according to the
types (form) of reinforcements or fillers
used.

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 Types of composites

• Composite are classified firstly according to the matrix –

(i) Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC)

(ii) Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC)

(iii) Metal Matrix Composite (MMC).

Al-SiC composite

CFRP (Carbon Fiber GFRP (Glass Fiber

Reinforced Polymer) Reinforced Polymer

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 Types of composites
• In addition – classified according to the types (form) of
reinforcements or fillers used.

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(1) Particulate composites with particles as fillers or
reinforcements – particles in form of rods, spheres,
flakes or others.

(2) Fiber composites in which the reinforcing fibers may

be either

as long as the dimensions of the component

continuous-fiber

Or short and chopped
discontinuous-fiber

(3) Laminar composites in which the reinforcement is

planar in form - produced by stacking the layers or
plies.
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Schematic representations of the various geometrical & spatial characteristics
of particles of the dispersed phase that may influence the properties of
composites:
(a) concentration, (b) size, (c)
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MATERIALS (d) distribution and (e) orientation.13
 Unidirectional and multidirectional laminate piles for a composite
laminate.
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 9.3 Fabrication of Composites
• PMC (Polymer Matrix Composites)
1) Hand Lay-Up Method
2) Spray-Up Method
3) Filament winding
4) Pultrusion
5) Compression molding
6) Vacuum Bagging/Autoclaving
7) Wet flow methods – Injection molding, Resin
transfer molding

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 (a)

(b)

Hand Lay-Up Method

(a) Pouring the resin over the reinforcement in the mold.
(b) Use of the roller to densify the laminate to remove entrapped air.
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Filament Winding Process
The fibers are first impregnated with plastic
resin and then wound around a rotating
mandrel (drum).
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Pultrusion process
Fibers impregnated with resin – fed into a heated die – slowly drawn out as a
cured composite material with a constant cross-sectional shape.

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 9.4 ELASTIC MODULUS OF FIBER-
REINFORCED-PLASTICCOMPOSITE
ISOSTRAIN CONDITIONS (LONGITUDINAL LOADING)

- In this case the stress on the material causes uniform strain on all
the
composite layers.
- Assume the bonding between the layers remains intact during the
stressing.

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 where

∈ =∈ =∈ ∈ ,∈ ,∈ −strain
c m f c m f
σ ,σ ,σ − stress
c m f
σc σm σf
∈c = =∈m = =∈ f = (1) Ε ,Ε ,Ε − Modulus Young
c m f
Ec Em Ef c −composite
m − matrix
f − fibre
p =P +P (2)
c m f
where
P
σ= P = σA
A
where
σ A =σ A +σ A (3)
c c m m f f A , A , A − fractional areas
c m f

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 σ =∈E ∈c =∈m =∈ f

∴ ∈c Ec Ac =∈m Em Am +∈f E f A f

Ec Ac = Em Am + E f A f

Af where
Am
Ec = Em +E f (5) Am A
= Vm dan f = V f
Ac Ac Ac Ac

E =E V +E V The rule of mixtures for binary

c m m f f # composites

Ff EfVf
=
Fm EmVm

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 EXAMPLE PROBLEM
A continuous and aligned glass fiber-reinforced composite
consists of 40 vol% of glass fibers having a modulus of
elasticity of 69 GPa and 60 vol % of a polyester resin that,
when hardened, displays a modulus of 3.4 GPa.

(a) Compute the modulus of elasticity of this composite in the

longitudinal direction (isostrain).
(b) If the cross-sectional area is 250 mm2 and a stress of 50
MPa is applied in this longitudinal direction (isostrain),
compute the magnitude of the load carried by each of the
fiber and matrix phases.
(c) Determine the strain that is sustained by each phase
when the stress in part (b) is applied.

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 Solution

(a) The modulus of elasticity of the composite is

E =E V +E V
c m m f f #

(b) The load carried by each of the fiber and matrix phases :
Ff E fVf
=
Fm EmVm

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 whereas

(c) The strain sustained by each of the fiber and matrix phases when the
stress 50 MPa is applied :

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ISOSTRESS CONDITIONS (TRANSVERSE LOADING)

• The load is applied at a 90° angle to the direction of fiber

alignment as shown in Figure below.
• The stress σ to which the composite as well as both phases are
exposed is the same.

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 σ =σ =σ (1)
c m f
where

∆Lc =∆Lm + ∆L f (2) ∆Lc - composite elongation

∆Lm -matrix elongation
∆L f -fiber elongation

∆Lc ∆Lm ∆L f
= + (3)
Lc Lc Lc

Lm
Lm = Am Lc → Lc =
Am
and
Lf (4)
L f = A f Lc → Lc =
Af

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∆Lc Am ∆Lm A f ∆L f ∆L A =V
= + (5) where, ∈= and m m
Lc Lm Lf L A f =V f
∈c =Vm∈m +V f ∈ f (6)

σ c =σ m =σ f
σ =E ∈ , σ =E ∈
m m f f
σ =E ∈ =E ∈ =E ∈ (7)
c c m m f f σ σ
∈ = ∈ =
m E f E
σ σ σ m f
=V +V (8)
E mE f E
c m f

1 Vm V f
= +
E E E
c m f

E E
m f
E =
c V E +V E
m f f m
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