MODULE IV

MET 285 Material Science and Technology

 COMPOSITES
▪ A composite can be defined as a multiphase material that is artificially
made with chemically dissimilar constituent phases which are separated
by a distinct interface.
▪ Composite materials consist of only two phases.
▪ One of these is called matrix phase which is present in large amount, is
continuous and surrounds the other one called as dispersed or
reinforcing phase
PARTICLE REINFORCED COMPOSITES
▪ The matrix is reinforced by hard particles
▪ The matrix and dispersed particles share the load.

▪ Typical examples are cemented carbide, tungsten reinforced

copper, concrete, cermets, etc.
Large Particles Composites
1.Cermet.
▪ Large-particle composites are used with all three material types (metals,
polymers, and ceramics).
▪ The cermets are examples of ceramic–metal composites
2. Concrete
▪ Concrete is another example for large particle composite,
which is composed of cement (the matrix) and sand and graval (the
particulates).
▪ Concrete is a common large-particle composite in which both matrix
and dispersed phases are ceramic materials.
 DISPERSION STRENGTHENED
COMPOSITES
▪ Metals and metal alloys may be strengthened and hardened by the
uniform dispersion of several volume percent of fine particles of a very
hard and inert material.
▪ The dispersed phase may be metallic or non-metallic; oxide materials are
used
▪ The high-temperature strength of nickel alloys may be enhanced
significantly by the addition of about 3 vol% of thoria (ThO2) as finely
dispersed particles; this material is known as thoria-dispersed (or TD)
nickel.
 FIBRE-REINFORCED COMPOSITES
▪ Design goals of fibre-reinforced composites often include high strength
and/or stiffness on a weight basis
▪ Fibre-reinforced composites with exceptionally high specific strengths
and module have been produced that use low-density fibre and matrix
materials.
▪ Fibre Glass or Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composites
▪ This is a composite consisting of continuous or discontinuous glass fibre
embedded in a polymer matrix.
▪ It is having high strength, stiffness and rigidity is not suitable for
structural application at higher temperature.
▪ Uses: storage containers, industrial flooring, marine applications.
▪ Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are among the
advanced composite material used for aircraft and aerospace
applications.
▪ Uses. Pressure vessels, structural composites.
 STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES
▪ A 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 composites.
Laminar Composites
▪ 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 fibre–reinforced plastics
STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES (CONT…)
▪ Sandwich Panels

▪ Sandwich panels, considered to be a class of structural composites, are

designed to be lightweight beams or panels having relatively high
stiffness and strengths.
▪ A sandwich panel consists of two outer sheets, or faces, that are
separated by and adhesively bonded to a thicker core
POLYMER–MATRIX COMPOSITES (PMC)
▪ Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs) consist of a polymer resin as the
matrix, with fibers as the reinforcement medium.
▪ These materials are used in the greatest diversity of composite
applications, as well as in the largest quantities, in light of their room-
temperature properties, ease of fabrication, and cost
Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites
▪ Carbon is a high-performance fiber material that is the most commonly
used reinforcement in advanced polymer-matrix composites
Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composites
▪ Fiberglass is a composite consisting of glass fibers, either continuous or
discontinuous, contained within a polymer matrix; this type of composite
is produced in the largest quantities.
▪ The composition of the glass that is most commonly drawn into fibers
(sometimes referred to as E-glass)
 GFRP COMPOSITES
Glass is popular as a fiber reinforcement material for several reasons:
1. It is easily drawn into high-strength fibers from the molten state.
2.It is readily available and may be fabricated into a glass-reinforced plastic
economically using a wide variety of composite-manufacturing
techniques.
3.As a fiber, it is relatively strong, and when embedded in a plastic matrix,
it produces a composite having a very high specific strength.
4.When coupled with the various plastics, it possesses a chemical inertness
that renders the composite useful in a variety of corrosive environments
METAL–MATRIX COMPOSITES (MMC)
▪ Metal-matrix composites (MMCs), the matrix is a ductile metal.

▪ These materials may be utilized at higher service temperatures than

their base metal counterparts, the reinforcement may improve specific
stiffness, specific strength, abrasion resistance, creep resistance, thermal
conductivity, and dimensional stability.
▪ The super alloys, as well as alloys of aluminium, magnesium, titanium,
and copper, are employed as matrix materials
▪ The reinforcement may be in the form of particulates, both continuous
and discontinuous fibers, and whiskers
▪ Continuous fiber materials include carbon, silicon carbide, boron,
alumina, and the refractory metal
▪ Discontinuous reinforcements consist primarily of silicon carbide
whiskers, chopped fibers of alumina and carbon, and particulates of
silicon carbide and alumina
▪ Aerospace structural applications include advanced aluminium alloy
metal-matrix composites; boron fibers are used as the reinforcement for
the Space Shuttle Orbiter, and continuous graphite fibers for the Hubble
Telescope.
CERAMIC–MATRIX COMPOSITES (CMC)
▪ Ceramic materials are inherently resilient to oxidation and deterioration at
elevated temperatures; were it not for their disposition to brittle fracture
▪ Some of these materials would be ideal candidates for use in high
temperature and severe-stress applications, specifically for components in
automobile and aircraft gas turbine engines.
▪ The fracture toughnesses of ceramics have been improved significantly by
the development of a new generation of ceramic-matrix composites
(CMCs) — particulates, fibers, or whiskers of one ceramic material that
have been embedded into a matrix of another ceramic.
▪ Toughening technique employs a phase transformation to
arrest the propagation of cracks and is aptly termed transformation
toughening.
▪ Small particles of partially stabilized zirconia are dispersed within
the
matrix material, often𝐴𝑙2𝑂3 or ZrO2 itself.
 APPLICATION OF COMPOSITES IN
AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY
▪ The use of fibre reinforced composites has become alternative to the
conventional metals for many aircraft components due to their increased
strength, durability, corrosion resistance, resistance to fatigue and damage
tolerance characteristics
▪ The composite materials used in aircraft industry are generally reinforced
fibres or filaments embedded in a resin matrix.
▪ The most common fibres are carbon, aramid, glass and their hybrid.
▪ The resin matrix is generally an epoxy based system requiring curing
temperatures between 120° and 180°C
▪ The first structural composite aircraft components were made from glass
fibre reinforced plastics
▪ High strength and stiffness combined with low density, composites like
Boron Fibre Reinforced Plastics (BFRP) and Carbon Fibre Reinforced
Plastics (CFRP) were preferred instead of aluminium for high
performance aircraft structures
 APPLICATION OF COMPOSITES IN
AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY(CONT..)
▪ . For lightly loaded structures, Aramid Fibre Reinforced Plastics (AFRP)
which possess low density, have been used.
▪ The use of AFRP continues to be restricted to the lightly loaded
structures due to the fact that although these fibres possess high tensile
strength, have very low compressive strength
▪ For light aircraft and lightly loaded structural components, Glass Fibre
Reinforced Plastics (GFRP) has become one of the standard materials
▪ Use of composite materials has also increased from few small access
panels and canopy frames to almost complete airframe surfaces thereby
providing weight savings leading to improved performance, reduced
drag and also improved durability and corrosion resistance.
▪ Composite materials like GFRP, CFRP and AFRP have become
standard materials for flight control surfaces, engine cowlings, fairings,
radomes, landing gear doors, floor panels, fan ducts, etc. in aircraft
 COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN
AEROSPACE APPLICATION

▪ The following are some of the reasons why composites are selected for
aerospace applications:
• High strength to weight ratio (low density high tensile strength)
• High creep resistance
• High tensile strength at elevated temperatures
• High toughness
▪ The primary benefits that composite components can offer are
reduced weight and assembly simplification.
▪ The performance advantages associated with reducing the weight of
aircraft structural elements has been the major impetus for military
aviation composites development.
▪ New aircraft utilize carbon, boron and aramid fibers combined with
epoxy resins. Such materials have replaced fiberglass
reinforcements.
COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN MARINE
APPLICATION
▪ With composites exhibiting excellent resistance to the marine
environment, their applications have made good inroads in the marine
sector worldwide
▪ Complex configurations and the advantages of seamless hulls were the
main driving factors in the development of FRP boats.
▪ Racing power-boats employ advanced and hybrid composites for a
higher performance craft and driver safety.
▪ Major structural elements viz. deckhouses, hatch covers, kings posts and
bow modules appears to be very well suited for FRP construction.
▪ The consumption of composites by this industry is mainly glass fibre
reinforced polyesters
COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN SPORTS
GOODS
▪ The optimum design of sports equipment requires the application of a
number of disciplines, not only for enhanced performance but also to
make the equipment as user-friendly as possible from the standpoint of
injury avoidance
▪ . In designing sports equipment, the various characteristics of materials
must be considered.
▪ Among these characteristics are strength, ductility, density, fatigue
resistance, toughness, modulus (damping), and cost.
▪ To meet the requirements of sports equipment, the materials of choice
often consist of a mixture of material types - metals, ceramics, polymers
and composite concepts.