Classification (Matrix Material)

• Metal matrix composites (MMC’s)

• Ceramic matrix composites (CMC’s)
• Polymer matrix composites (PMC’s)

• MMC
• The matrix is relatively soft and flexible.
• Matrix: Aluminium, Magnesium, Titanium, Copper
• The reinforcement must have high strength and stiffness
• Fibers: Boron, Carbon, Alumina, Borsic, Silicon Carbide
• Since the load must be transferred from the matrix to the
reinforcement, the reinforcement-matrix bond must be strong.
• MMC use:
• Particulate reinforcement
• Long fiber reinforcements
• Their maximum use temperature is limited by the softening or melting
temperature of the metal matrix
Classification (Matrix Material) (Contd.)
• CMC
• The matrix is relatively hard and brittle
• Matrix: Silicon Carbide, Alumina, Glass-ceramic, Silicon Nitride
• Fibers: Silicon Carbide, Alumina, Silicon Nitride
• They are best suited for very high temperature applications

• PMC
• The matrix is relatively soft and flexible
• Matrix: Thermoset (Epoxy, Polyimide, Polyester), Thermoplastic (Poly-
Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK), Polysulphone)
• The reinforcement must have high strength and stiffness
• Fibers: E-glass, S-glass, Carbon, Aramid (Kevlar), Boron
• Since the load must be transferred from matrix to reinforcement, the
reinforcement-matrix bond must be strong
• Used in relatively low temperature application
Dispersion Strengthened MMC’s
• Dispersion strengthened alloys can be considered as composites
because there is little or no interaction between the two components
and the reinforcement is not soluble in the metal matrix.
• The dispersoids are usually 10-250 nm diameter oxide particles and
are introduced by physical means rather than chemical precipitation.
• They are located within the grains and at grain boundaries but are not
coherent with the matrix as in precipitation hardening
• The dispersed particles are sufficiently small in size to impede
dislocation movement and thus improve yield strength as well as
stiffness.
• Dispersion strengthened alloys are somewhat weaker than
precipitation hardened alloys at room temperature but since
overaging, tempering, grain growth or particle coarsening do not
occur on heating, they are stronger and more creep resistant at high
temperatures.
Sintered Aluminum Powder (SAP) Composites
• SAPs have an aluminum matrix with aluminum oxide (Al2O3)
particulate
• The matrix is strengthened by 14%
• SAPs are produced using different methods, two examples are as
follows:
• Al and Al2O3 powders are blended then compacted at high
pressure then sintered like a ceramic.
• Al powder is heated in air to form a thick film of Al2O3 on each
particle. When the powder is compacted the Al2O3 film fractures
into tiny particles and becomes surrounded by the Al during
sintering
Thoria-Dispersed (TD) Composites
• An important group of dispersion-strengthened composites is TD
metals
• Thorium is an element on the periodic table (atomic number 90)
• A common example is TD-Nickel
• TD-nickel composites produced by:
• Powders of metallic Th and Ni are ball milled, compacted at high
pressure and then sintered.
• The compact is then heated in air and oxygen diffuses in to react
with Th metal to form a fine dispersion of ThO2.
Cemented Carbides (CERMETS)
• Carbides such as WC (Tungsten-Carbide) are used for cutting tool inserts but this
hard ceramic is very brittle so it cracks or chips under impact loads, to remedy
this cobalt is used as a matrix
• Co-WC (Cobalt Tungsten-Carbide) CERMETS are produced by pressing Co and W
powders into compacts, which are heated above the melting point of Co
• On cooling the carbide particles become embedded in the solidified Co, which act
as a tough matrix for the WC particles
• In addition to its strength and toughness, Co is also selected because it wets the
carbide particles to give a strong bond
Particulate MMC’s for Electrical Contacts
• Electrical contacts used in switches, relays and motors must be quite wear
resistant to stand up in service
• Highly conductive metals such as Cu and Ag are relatively soft and thus show
excessive wear when used as contacts resulting in arcing and poor electrical
conduction.
• The goal is to produce a contact that is both a good conductor and has excellent
wear properties
• This is done by using Silver reinforced with Tungsten particles, the Ag is a terrific
conductor while the W provides good wear properties
• The composite is made in two stages:
• First a low density compact with interconnected
pores is produced by pressing and firing Tungsten
powders
• Liquid Silver is then infiltrated into the connected
voids under vacuum
Cast Metal Particulate MMC’s
• Al alloys for automotive connecting rods and pistons can be
strengthened and hardened by the addition of SiC (silicon carbide)
particles.
• The SiC particles are introduced at a temperature at which the alloy is
in the solid plus liquid state, ie., by “compocasting”.
Cast Metal Particulate MMC’s (Contd.)
• Compocasting of Al-SiC:
• Partially solidified alloy is stirred to break up dendrites (Fig. a)
• Particles of SiC are added at this temperature (Fig. b)
• In a pressure die casting machine, the solid mixture becomes
thixotropic to form a high density casting (Fig. c)
Fiber Reinforced Composites
• Fiber reinforced composites provide improved strength, fatigue resistance,
Young’s modulus, and strength to weight ratio over the constituent
materials.
• This is achieved by incorporating strong, stiff, yet brittle fibers into a matrix.
• Generally speaking, the fiber supplies the strength and stiffness while the
matrix binds the fibers together and provides a means of transferring the
load between fibers
• The matrix also provides protection for the fibers
• Many factors must be considered when designing a fiber-reinforced
composite including the length, diameter, orientation, amount and
properties of the constituents, and the bonding between them.
• The method used to produce the final product is also very important as it
dictates the type of properties just mentioned as well as the quality of the
product.
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Fiber length and diameter: Fiber dimensions are characterized by
their aspect ratio l/d where l is the fiber length and d is the diameter.
• The strength improves when the aspect ratio is large.
• Typical fiber diameters are from 10 mm to 150 mm.
• Thinner fiber has higher ultimate strength because less chance for
inherent flaws.
• For the same volume of fibers, thinner fibers have larger surface area
thus have stronger bond with matrix. This results in high ductility,
toughness, and better transfer of loads from matrix to fiber.
• Fibers able to bend without breaking are required in manufacturing of
composite materials, especially in woven fabric composites
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Fiber Properties
• In fiber-reinforced composites, the fibers are strong, stiff and
lightweight.
• If the composite is to be used at elevated temperatures, the fiber
should also have a high melting temperature.
• The specific strength and specific modulus of fibers are important.

ut E
Specific Strength  Specific Modulus 
 

• Where σut is the tensile strength, E is the elastic modulus, and ρ is the
density.
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Types of fibers:
• Some commonly used fibers for polymer matrix composites:
• Glass fibers
• Carbon fibers
• Aramid fibers
• Some commonly used fibers for metal matrix composites:
• Boron fibers
• Carbon fibers
• Oxide ceramic and non-oxide ceramic fibers
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Graph showing specific
strength vs specific modulus
for different types of fibers
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Glass fibers
• Due to the relatively inexpensive cost, glass fibers are the most commonly
used reinforcement
• There are a variety of types of glass, they are all compounds of Silica with a
variety of metallic Oxides
Designation: Property or Characteristic:
E, electrical low electrical conductivity
S, strength high strength
C, chemical high chemical durability
M, modulus high stiffness
A, alkali high alkali or soda lime glass
D, dielectric low dielectric constant
• The most commonly used glass is E-glass, this is the most popular because of
it’s cost
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Carbon fibers
• Carbon fibers have gained a lot of popularity in the last two
decades due to the price reduction.
• Thermal stability is good.
• Carbon fiber composites are five times stronger than 1020 steel
yet five times lighter. In comparison to 6061 aluminum, carbon
fiber composites are seven times stronger and two times stiffer yet
still 1.5 times lighter.
• Initially used exclusively by the aerospace industry. They are
becoming more and more common in fields such as automotive,
civil infrastructure, sports, and paper production.
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Aramid fibers
• Aramid fibers are also becoming more and more common
• The most common type of aramid is Kevlar
• They have the highest level of specific strength of all the common
fibers
• They are commonly used when a degree of impact resistance is
required such as in ballistic armour
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Commercially available forms of
reinforcement
• Filament: a single thread like fiber
(right)
• Roving: a bundle of filaments
wound to form a large strand (left)
(below: Close up of a roving)
• Chopped strand mat: Assembled
from chopped filaments bound with
a binder
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Commercially available forms of reinforcement (Contd.)
• Continuous filament random mat: assembled from continuous
filaments bound with a binder (left/left: Glass fibers)
• Woven fabrics: woven from rovings (left/right: Glass fibers, right/-:
Carbon fibers)
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Maximum strength is obtained
when fibers are oriented
parallel to the applied load
• The effect of fiber orientation
and strength can be seen in the
plot
 Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)

• The properties of fiber

composites can be tailored
to meet different loading
requirements Laminae
• By using combinations of
different fiber orientations,
quasi-isotropic materials
may be produced Laminate
Unidirectional Quasi-isotropic
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• A three dimensional weave is also possible
• This could be found when fabrics are knitted or weaved together
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Matrix materials
• Polymer matrix material
• There are two basic categories of polymer matrices: Thermoplastics and
Thermoset plastics
• Roughly 95% of the composite market uses thermosetting plastics
• Thermosetting plastics are polymerized in two ways:
• By adding a catalyst to the resin causing the resin to cure
• By heating the resin to its cure temperature
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Common thermosetting plastics:
• Phenolics: Good electrical properties, often used in circuit board applications
• Epoxies:
• Low solvent emission (fumes) upon curing
• Low shrink rate upon polymerization which produces a relatively residual
stress-free bond with the reinforcement
• It is the matrix material that produces the highest strength and stiffness
• often used in aerospace applications
• Polyester:
• Most commonly used resin
• Slightly weaker than epoxy but about half the price
• Produces emission when curing
• Used widely, e.g. in boats, piping, etc.
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Metal matrix material
• Metal martices include Aluminum, Magnesium, Copper, Nickel,
and intermetallic compound alloys
• MMCs are better at higher temperatures than PMCs although
production is much more difficult and expensive
• MMCs can have applications such as fan blades in engines, clutch
and brake linings, engine cylinder liners, etc.
Fiber Reinforced Composites (Contd.)
• Stress-strain curve for a
unidirectional composite
under uniaxial tensile load
along fibers
Application of advanced composite materials in Boeing 757-200 commercial
aircraft. Source: Courtesy of Boeing Commercial Airplane Company
Classification (Structural )
• Laminates
• Stacked and bonded fiber-reinforced sheets
• Benefit: Balanced in-plane stiffness
• Sandwich panels
• Honeycomb core between two facing sheets
• Benefits: Low density, Large bending stiffness

Face sheet
Adhesive layer
Honeycomb
Composite Sailboard Cross-section