AERO 4300 Aerospace Composites

Lecture 1 Introduction to composites

AERO 4300

Dr. Michael Heitzmann

What are composites?

Definition:
Material consisting of two or more constituent materials where
each constituent material maintains its integrity and where the
resulting composite has properties which are distinctively
different form its constituents.
Examples of composites:

Nano-composite (e.g. CNT & polymer)

Biocomposites
Metal/metal composites
Ceramic composites
Sintered materials
.
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Dr. Michael Heitzmann

Example: Ceramic composite (http://www.htl.fraunhofer.de/en/Competences/ceramiccomposites/composite-material-development/_jcr_content/stage/image.img.jpg/Mikrostruktur-Ceramic-MatrixComposites.1432287597122.jpg)

Example: CNT/Metal
composite
(http://www.azonano.com/images/Article_Images/ImageForA
rticle_3149(1).jpg)

Fibre reinforced plastics

Composites in the context of AERO 4300:
= Fibre reinforced plastics (FRPs)
= polymer matrix fibre composites
Examples of composite applications?

AERO 4300

Dr. Michael Heitzmann

Fibre reinforced plastics

Composites in the context of AERO 4300:
= Fibre reinforced plastics (FRPs)
= polymer matrix fibre composites
Examples of composite applications

Aerospace
Armour
Wood plastic composites
Automotive
Boats
Building and construction
Sporting equipment
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Medical devices
Robotics
Space
O&G
Mobile phone covers
Furniture
Watch dials

Dr. Michael Heitzmann

Fibre reinforced plastics

Matrix = Plastic = Polymer

Thermoset (e.g. Epoxy, VE)
Thermoplastic (e.g. PA6, PEEK)

Reinforcement = Fibrous
Manmade fibres (e.g. Glass, Carbon,
Aramid)
Natural fibres (e.g. Plant fibres)

Composite systems/components
Sandwich materials
Function integration

AERO 4300

Dr. Michael Heitzmann

Composite applications

AERO 4300

Dr. Michael Heitzmann

Why FRPs?
Application examples:

Motor sports
Aerospace
O&G
Wind turbines
Sports equipment
Armour
Train front
Wood plastic composites
Composite bridge
reinforcements
Space

AERO 4300

Dr. Michael Heitzmann

Why FRPs?
Application examples:

Motor sports
Aerospace
O&G
Wind turbines
Sports equipment
Armour
Train front
Wood plastic composites
Composite bridge
reinforcements
Space

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Reasons for use:

Weight specific stiffness

Weight specific strength
Corrosion resistance
Design freedom
Aspiration
Cost
Manufacturability
Sustainability
Unique mechanical/ thermal
properties
Thermal expansion

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Industry trend

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Industry trend

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Industry trend
Automotive

Aerospace

High volume

High volume

manufacturing
Short cycle time
Low carbon
footprint
Light weighting

manufacturing
Short cycle time

Low carbon
footprint
Light weighting

Building &
Construction

Large structures
Commodity
structures
Low carbon
footprint

Moveable/temp.
dwellings
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Composites in Aerospace

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Composite usage Boeing 787

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Characteristic properties

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Characteristic properties

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Characteristic properties

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Characteristic properties

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Effect of fibre length

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Nexus between material, design and

manufacturing
Unholy Trinity:
between manufacturing, material and design

Material

Manufacturing

Design

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f07HpUAuWgk
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Recommended resources

M.F. Ashby, Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, Butterworth Heinemann, 2011.

A. Baker, S. Dutton, D. Kelly (Eds.), Composite Materials for Aircraft Structures, American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston, 2004 (New Volume coming soon!)
E.J. Barbero, Introduction to Composite Materials Design, CRC Press, 2011.
H. Buhl, Advanced Aerospace Materials, Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1992.
F.C. Campbell, Manufacturing Processes for Advanced Composites, Elsevier Ltd. 2004.
B. Cantor, H. Assender and P. Grant (Eds.), Aerospace Materials, Institute of Physics
Publishing, Bristol, 2001
R.F. Gibson, Principles of C omposite Material Mechanics, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2007.
C.T. Herakovich, Mechanics of Fibrous C omposites, John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
P.K. Mallick. Fiber-reinforced composites Materials, Manufacturing, and Design, Third Edition,
CRC Press 2008.
Composite materials handbook, HDBK17 (V1-3).

https://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/pse/resources/fulltext/HDBK17-1F.pdf
https://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/pse/resources/fulltext/HDBK17-2F.pdf
https://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/pse/resources/fulltext/HDBK17-3F.pdf

ASM Handbook V21 Composites (~4kg of composite goodness!)

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Take home message/need to know

Composite materials offer unique properties to
solve many challenging engineering problems
The motivation to use composites can be very
diverse and strength, stiffness or weight are not the
only considerations
Fibre reinforced plastics consist of at least two
constituents: Matrix and fibres
Understand key composite applications
Start to understand nexus between manufacturing,
design and material
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