CHAPTER 15:

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

ISSUES TO ADDRESS...
• What are the classes and types of composites?
• Why are composites used instead of metals,
ceramics, or polymers?
• How do we estimate composite stiffness & strength?
• What are some typical applications?

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 TERMINOLOGY/CLASSIFICATION
• Composites: woven
--Multiphase material w/significant fibers
proportions of ea. phase.
• Matrix:
--The continuous phase
--Purpose is to: 0.5 mm
transfer stress to other phases cross
protect phases from environment section
--Classification: MMC, CMC, PMC view
metal ceramic polymer
• Dispersed phase: 0.5 mm
--Purpose: enhance matrix properties. Reprinted with permission from
D. Hull and T.W. Clyne, An Introduction
MMC: increase y, TS, creep resist. to Composite Materials, 2nd ed.,
Cambridge University Press, New York,
CMC: increase Kc 1996, Fig. 3.6, p. 47.
PMC: increase E, y, TS, creep resist.
--Classification: Particle, fiber, structural 2
 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Particle-I
Particle-reinforced Fiber -reinforced Structural
• Examples:
-Spheroidite matrix: particles: Adapted from Fig.

steel ferrite ( ) cementite 10.10, Callister 6e.

(Fig. 10.10 is copyright
(ductile) (Fe 3 C) United States Steel
Corporation, 1971.)
(brittle)
60 m
Adapted from Fig. 16.4,
-WC/Co matrix: particles: Callister 6e. (Fig. 16.4
cemented cobalt WC is courtesy Carboloy
Systems, Department,
(ductile) (brittle,
carbide Vm : hard)
General Electric
Company.)

10-15vol%! 600 m
Adapted from Fig. 16.5,
Callister 6e. (Fig. 16.5
-Automobile matrix: particles: is courtesy Goodyear
tires rubber C Tire and Rubber
(compliant) (stiffer) Company.)

0.75 m 3
 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Particle-II
Particle-reinforced Fiber -reinforced Structural
• Elastic modulus, Ec, of composites:
-- two approaches. upper limit: “rule of mixtures”
E c  VmE m  Vp E p
E(GPa)
Data: 350
lower limit: Adapted from Fig. 16.3,
Cu matrix 30 0 Callister 6e. (Fig. 16.3 is
1 V V from R.H. Krock, ASTM
w/tungsten 250  m  p Proc, Vol. 63, 1963.)
particles 20 0 Ec Em Ep
150
0 20 40 60 80 10 0 vol% tungsten
(Cu) (W)

• Application to other properties:

-- Electrical conductivity, e: Replace E by e.
-- Thermal conductivity, k: Replace E by k.
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 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Fiber-I
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Aligned Continuous fibers
• Examples:
--Metal: '(Ni3Al)-(Mo) --Glass w/SiC fibers
by eutectic solidification. formed by glass slurry
matrix: (Mo) (ductile) Eglass = 76GPa; ESiC = 400GPa.

(a) fracture
surface

2 m From F.L. Matthews and R.L. Rawlings,

Composite Materials; Engineering and
Science, Reprint ed., CRC Press, Boca
fibers: ’ (Ni 3 Al) (brittle) Raton, FL, 2000. (a) Fig. 4.22, p. 145
(b) (photo by P. Davies); (b) Fig. 11.20, p.
349 (micrograph by H.S. Kim, P.S.
From W. Funk and E. Blank, “Creep
Rodgers, and R.D. Rawlings). Used
deformation of Ni3Al-Mo in-situ composites",
with permission of CRC
Metall. Trans. A Vol. 19(4), pp. 987-998, 1988.
Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Used with permission.

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 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Fiber-II
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Discontinuous, random 2D fibers
• Example: Carbon-Carbon C fibers:
--process: fiber/pitch, then very stiff
burn out at up to 2500C. very strong
--uses: disk brakes, gas (b) C matrix:
turbine exhaust flaps, nose less stiff
cones. view onto plane less strong
fibers lie
in plane
(a)

• Other variations:
--Discontinuous, random 3D Adapted from F.L. Matthews and R.L. Rawlings,
Composite Materials; Engineering and Science,
--Discontinuous, 1D Reprint ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2000. (a)
Fig. 4.24(a), p. 151; (b) Fig. 4.2(b) p. 351. Reproduced
with permission of CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

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 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Fiber-III
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Critical fiber length for effective stiffening & strengthening:
fiber strength in tension fiber diameter
f d
fiber length  15 shear strength of
c fiber-matrix interface
• Ex: For fiberglass, fiber length > 15mm needed
• Why? Longer fibers carry stress more efficiently!
Shorter, thicker fiber: Longer, thinner fiber:
 d  d
fiber length  15 f fiber length  15 f
c c
(x) (x)

Adapted from Fig. 16.7,

Callister 6e.

Poorer fiber efficiency Better fiber efficiency

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 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Fiber-IV
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Estimate of Ec and TS: fd
--valid when fiber length  15 c

-- Elastic modulus in fiber direction:

E c  E m Vm  KE f Vf
efficiency factor:
--aligned 1D: K = 1 (anisotropic) Values from Table 16.3, Callister 6e.
(Source for Table 16.3 is H. Krenchel, Fibre
--random 2D: K = 3/8 (2D isotropy) Reinforcement, Copenhagen: Akademisk
--random 3D: K = 1/5 (3D isotropy) Forlag, 1964.)

--TS in fiber direction:

(TS )c  (TS )m Vm  (TS ) f Vf (aligned 1D)

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 COMPOSITE SURVEY: Structural
Particle-reinforced Fiber -reinforced Structural
• Stacked and bonded fiber-reinforced sheets
-- stacking sequence: e.g., 0/90
-- benefit: balanced, in-plane stiffness
Adapted from Fig.
16.16, Callister
6e.

• Sandwich panels
-- low density, honeycomb core
-- benefit: small weight, large bending stiffness
face sheet
adhesive layer
honeycomb

Adapted from Fig. 16.17,

Callister 6e. (Fig. 16.17 is
from Engineered Materials
Handbook, Vol. 1, Composites, ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1987.
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 COMPOSITE BENEFITS
• CMCs: Increased toughness • PMCs: Increased E/
Force ceramics
particle-reinf 10 3
E(GPa) PMCs
10 2
10 metal/
fiber -reinf metal alloys
1
un-reinf
.1 G=3E/8 polymers
.01 K=E
Bend d isplacement .1 .3 1 3 10 30
10 -4 Density,  [Mg/m 3 ]
ss (s -1 ) 6061 Al
• MMCs: 10 -6 Adapted from T.G. Nieh, "Creep rupture of a
Increased silicon-carbide reinforced aluminum

creep 6061 Al composite", Metall. Trans. A Vol. 15(1), pp.

1 0 -8 139-146, 1984. Used with permission.

resistance w/SiC
whiskers (MPa)
10 -10
2 0 30 50 10 0 200 10
 SUMMARY
• Composites are classified according to:
-- the matrix material (CMC, MMC, PMC)
-- the reinforcement geometry (particles, fibers, layers).
• Composites enhance matrix properties:
-- MMC: enhance y, TS, creep performance
-- CMC: enhance Kc
-- PMC: enhance E, y, TS, creep performance
• Particulate-reinforced:
-- Elastic modulus can be estimated.
-- Properties are isotropic.
• Fiber-reinforced:
-- Elastic modulus and TS can be estimated along fiber dir.
-- Properties can be isotropic or anisotropic.
• Structural:
-- Based on build-up of sandwiches in layered form.
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 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Reading:

Core Problems:

Self-help Problems: