Introduction

VARUN BABU
Assistant Professor(Sr.Gr)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
 Contents
 Introduction

 Structure

 Fibres

 Composite Types

 Fibre Reinforcement Composites

 Fibre Orientation

2 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

 Introduction
 Composite materials, also referred to as composites, are a combination

of two or more materials that are mixed or joined on a macroscopic

level.

 Composite materials are used in engineering applications where a

pure material cannot provide the specific set of properties that are
required.

 The composite can be tailor made to produce a set of properties that

are unique and cannot be provided by the individual constituents

alone.
3 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018
  Composites can be thought of as a single material that has been enhanced

by the addition of another material.

 Typically, composites are a combination of a filler material, either particles

or fibres, and a matrix material that surrounds the filler, usually a

polymer.

 Particles or fibres are added as a means of reinforcement and provide

strength and stiffness to the composite.

 The matrix phase is added to bond the fibres together, protect the fibres

from damage, and distribute the load from one fibre to another.

4 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

 Structure
 Fibres

 Glass Fibres

 Carbon Fibres

 Polymer Fibres

 Matrix Materials

 Thermosetting Resins

 Thermoplastic Resins

5 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

 Fibre
 Fibres are a very important form of reinforcement. They have

the potential to provide the greatest level of strengthening to

the design of a composite material.

 There are three principal types of fibres: very thin single crystals

called whiskers, small diameter polymer or ceramic fibres, and

thicker wires that are usually made of metal.

6 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

  The most common are the small diameter fibres.

 Glass and carbon fibres are the principal fibres used in Fibre

Reinforced Composites (FRC) .

 Glass is by far the most widely used fibre for reinforcing and is the

lowest in cost.

 Carbon and aramid fibres are more expensive but are used in many

high technology applications, such as aerospace, due to their high

strengths and low densities.

7 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

 Composite Types
 Fibre Reinforced Composites (FRC)

 Fibre Orientation

 Fibre Volume Fraction

 Particle Reinforced Composites (PRC)

 Sandwich Panels

 Metal Matrix Composites (MMC)

 Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC)

8 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

9 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018
 Fibre Reinforced Composites
 Fibre reinforced composites are classed as either continuous (long

fibres) or discontinuous (short fibres).

When the fibres are aligned
they provide maximum
strength but only along the
direction of alignment. The
composite is considerably
weaker along other
directions and is therefore
highly anisotropic.
10 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018
 Fibre Orientation
 Optimum strength and stiffness can be achieved in a composite by

aligning the fibres parallel to the direction of loading.

 However, in this case, the composite can perform very poorly when

the load is applied perpendicular to the fibres.

11 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

  A method of producing a more isotropic composite is to randomly
orient the fibres within the matrix.
 However, this decreases the overall strengthening effect.

 Another way of producing a more isotropic composite is to use

multiple plies of continuous fibres with the direction of the fibres
differing in each ply.
 Fibres can vary by 90°, 45°, or 30° angles to accommodate for the
direction of the applied loads.

12 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018

13 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018
14 UMEC202 Composite Materials Module 1 12/27/2018