Lecture 11

Classification of Composite Materials

Classifications of Structural
Composites
Laminated composites can be
thought of as sheets of continuous
fiber composites laminated such
that each layer has the fiber oriented in a given direction.

Structural Composites
Structural composite is normally composed of both homogeneous and composite materials, the properties of
which depend not only on the properties of the constituent materials but also on the geometrical design of
the various structural elements. Laminar composites and sandwich panels are two of the most common
structural composite

Laminar composite
A laminar composite is composed of two-dimensional sheets or panels that have a preferred high-strength
direction such as is found in wood and continuous and aligned fiber-reinforced plastics. The layers are stacked
and subsequently cemented together such that the orientation of the high-strength direction varies with each
successive layer. For example, adjacent wood sheets in plywood are aligned with the grain direction at right
angles to each other.
Laminations may also be constructed using fabric material such as cotton, paper, or woven glass fibers
embedded in a plastic matrix. Thus a laminar composite has relatively high strength in a number of directions
in the two-dimensional plane; however, the strength in any given direction is, of course, lower than it would
be if all the fibers were oriented in that direction. One example of a relatively complex laminated structure is
the modern ski.

Meaning of ski
Each of a pair of long, narrow pieces of hard, flexible material, typically pointed and turned up at the front,
fastened under the feet for travelling over snow.
The basic construction of a ski has a laminated wood core at its centre. The wood core is surrounded
by composite layers above and below and sidewalls to the sides. To this a top sheet is attached to the top and
the edges and base are attached to the bottom. The materials and shapes used for each of these layers and
components can vary a lot.
Laminates
Laminates are multilayered composite materials. Fiber reinforced laminates is made by appropriately stacking
fiber reinforced plies.
The laminates we are discussing in this section are in general which are made by putting sheets together,
except for variety called fiber metal laminates. Some of these laminates have been in commercial use for
sometime while others are potential candidates for a variety of applications because of their superior
properties:
Properties of Laminates:
 Possess high strength (ambient and high temperature),
 fatigue resistance,
 wear resistance
 biocompatibility
Examples:
Examples of laminated structural materials can be found in nature and in historical man made objects. The
unique structure of laminates found in nature offers desired functional properties. Examples include bones,
tooth, shells of mussels, etc.
 For example, abalone shell consists of protein layers separating the meso-layers.
 Among historic examples, we should mention metallic laminates made of steel that have been
used to make Samurai swords.
 The famous iron pillar of Delhi consists of laminae of wrought iron.
 Other examples include copper/aluminum and copper/stainless laminates for use in kitchen
utensils.
 Researchers have explored multilayered composites consisting of metal/metal and metal/ceramic
laminates.
 Extensive work on ultrahigh carbon steel (UHCS) laminates, which have compositions very similar
to ancient Damascus or Wootz steels, showed excellent impact properties (Verhoeven et al. 1998;
Lesuer et al. 1996).
Abalone shell
 Abalone is a varity of mollusk or sea snail with feet and tentacles. Abalone shells are made up of
microscopic pieces of calcium carbonate, stacked one on top of the other, almost like tiny blocks which
looks like brick layers.
 Each of these brick-like layers has a clingy protein material between them. This adds to the exceptional
strength of the abalone shell.
 It is used as an inspiration for makeup palettes, wedding themes, in tiles and laminates in home
decoration.
 Abalone can form pearls, and these can be made into jewelry. They are exceptionally rare so it is very
lucky to find abalone pearls.
 The most common use of the abalone shell is for jewelry and gifts.

Sandwich panels
 Low density honeycomb core  Benefit: light weight, large bending stiffness
Sandwich panels, considered to be a class of structural composites, are designed to be light-weight beams or
panels having relatively high stiffnesses and strengths. A sandwich panel consists of two outer sheets, or
faces, that are separated by and adhesively bonded to a thicker core. The outer sheets are made of a
relatively stiff and strong material, typically aluminum alloys, fiber-reinforced plastics, titanium, steel, or
plywood; they impart high stiffness and strength to the structure, and must be thick enough to withstand
tensile and compressive stresses that result from loading

Schematic diagram showing the construction of a honeycomb core sandwich panel

Figure 3. Schematic
Core materials typically fall within
diagram showing the cross three categories: rigid
polymeric foams (i.e., phenolics, epoxy, polyurethanes),
wood (i.e., balsa wood), and
section of a sandwich honeycombs.
Structurally, the core serves several panel. functions. First of all, it
provides continuous support for the faces. In addition, it must
have sufficient shear strength to withstand transverse shear stresses, and also be thick enough to provide
high shear stiffness (to resist buckling of the panel). (It should be noted that tensile and compressive stresses
on the core are much lower than on the faces.)
Another popular core consists of a “honeycomb” structure—thin foils that have been formed into interlocking
hexagonal cells, with axes oriented perpendicular to the face planes; Figure shows a cutaway view of a
honeycomb core sandwich panel. The honeycomb material is normally either an aluminum alloy or aramid
polymer. Strength and stiffness of honeycomb structures depend on cell size, cell wall thickness, and the
material from which the honeycomb is made.
Sandwich panels are used in a wide variety of applications including roofs, floors, and walls of buildings; and,
in aerospace and aircraft (i.e., for wings, fuselage, and tailplane skins).

Assignments
Describe the differences between laminated composites and sandwich panels