Introduction to Composites

Chapter 16 - 1

ISSUES TO ADDRESS... Why Study Composites?

What are the classes and types of composites? What are the advantages of using composite materials? How do we predict the stiffness and strength of the various types of composites?

Chapter 16 - 2

WHY STUDY Composites?

Many of our modern technologies require materials with unusual combinations of properties that cannot be met by the conventional metal alloys, ceramics, and polymeric materials. For example, aircraft engineers are increasingly searching for structural materials that have low densities, are strong, stiff, and abrasion and impact resistant, and are not easily corroded. strong materials are relatively dense; also, increasing the strength or stiffness generally results in a decrease in impact strength. Desired material property combinations have been achieved by the development of composite materials.
Chapter 16 - 3

Composite
Combination of two or more individual materials Design goal: obtain a more desirable combination of properties (principle of combined action) e.g., low density and high strength

Chapter 16 - 4

Terminology/Classification
Composite:
-- Multiphase material that is artificially made.

Phase types:
-- Matrix - is continuous -- Dispersed - is discontinuous and surrounded by matrix

Adapted from Fig. 16.1(a), Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Chapter 16 - 5

Chapter 16 - 6

Terminology/Classification
Matrix phase:
-- Purposes are to:
- transfer stress to dispersed phase - protect dispersed phase from environment
woven fibers

-- Types:

MMC, CMC, PMC

metal

ceramic

polymer

Dispersed phase:
-- Purpose:
MMC: increase sy, TS, creep resist. CMC: increase KIc PMC: increase E, sy, TS, creep resist.

cross section view

-- Types: particle, fiber, structural

Chapter 16 -

Classification of Composites

Adapted from Fig. 16.2, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Chapter 16 - 8

Particle reinforced composites

large-particle and dispersion-strengthened composites are the two sub classifications of particle-reinforced composites. The distinction between these is based upon reinforcement or strengthening mechanism 1. large-particle reinforced composites: particlematrix interactions cannot be treated on the atomic or molecular level. For most of these composites, the particulate phase is harder and stiffer than the matrix. These reinforcing particles tend to restrain movement of the matrix phase in the vicinity of each particle. The matrix transfers some of the applied stress to the particles, which bear a fraction of the load.
Chapter 16 - 9

 The degree of reinforcement or improvement of mechanical behavior depends on strong bonding at the matrixparticle interface. The volume fraction of the two phases influences the behavior; mechanical properties are enhanced with increasing particulate content. Examples: cermets, concrete

Chapter 16 - 10

Cermets
Large-particle composites are utilized with all three material types (metals, polymers, and ceramics). The cermets are examples of ceramicmetal composites. The most common cermet is the cemented carbide, which is composed of extremely hard particles of a refractory carbide ceramic such as tungsten carbide (WC) or titanium carbide (TiC), embedded in a matrix of a metal such as cobalt or nickel. These composites are utilized extensively as cutting tools for hardened steels. The hard carbide particles provide the cutting surface but, being extremely brittle, are not themselves capable of withstanding the cutting stresses. Toughness is enhanced by their inclusion in the ductile metal matrix, which isolates the carbide particles from one another and prevents particle-to-particle crack propagation. Both matrix and particulate phases are quite refractory, to withstand the high temperatures generated by the cutting action on materials that are extremely hard. No single material could possibly provide the combination of properties possessed by a cermet. Relatively large volume fractions of the particulate phase may be utilized, often exceeding 90 vol%; thus the abrasive action of the composite is Chapter 16 - 11 maximized.

 Examples: - Spheroidite matrix: ferrite (a) steel

(ductile) 60 mm

particles: cementite (Fe C) 3 (brittle)

Adapted from Fig. 10.19, Callister & Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 10.19 is copyright United States Steel Corporation, 1971.)

- WC/Co cemented carbide

matrix: cobalt (ductile, tough) : 600 mm

particles: WC (brittle, hard)

Adapted from Fig. 16.4, Callister & Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 16.4 is courtesy Carboloy Systems, Department, General Electric Company.)

- Automobile matrix: tire rubber rubber

(compliant) 0.75 mm

particles: carbon black (stiff)

Adapted from Fig. 16.5, Callister & Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 16.5 is courtesy Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.)

Chapter 16 - 12

2. Dispersion strengthened composites For dispersion-strengthened composites, particles are normally much smaller, with diameters between 10 and 100 nm. Particlematrix interactions that lead to strengthening occur on the atomic or molecular level. The mechanism of strengthening is similar to that for precipitation hardening. Whereas the matrix bears the major portion of an applied load, the small dispersed particles hinder or impede the motion of dislocations. Thus, plastic deformation is restricted such that yield and tensile strengths, as well as hardness, improve. 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. The same effect is produced in the aluminumaluminum oxide system. A very thin and adherent alumina coating is caused to form on the surface of extremely small (0.1 to 0.2 m thick) flakes of aluminum, which are dispersed within an aluminum metal matrix; this material is termed sintered aluminum powder (SAP).
Chapter 16 - 13

Classification: Particle-Reinforced (ii)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural

Concrete gravel + sand + cement + water

- Why sand and gravel?
Sand fills voids between gravel particles

Reinforced concrete Reinforce with steel rebar or remesh

- increases strength - even if cement matrix is cracked

Prestressed concrete
- Rebar/remesh placed under tension during setting of concrete - Release of tension after setting places concrete in a state of compression - To fracture concrete, applied tensile stress must exceed this compressive stress

Posttensioning tighten nuts to place concrete under compression

threaded rod nut
Chapter 16 - 14

Classification: Particle-Reinforced (iii)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural

Elastic modulus, Ec, of composites:

-- two rule of mixture extremes:
E(GPa) 350 Data: Cu matrix 30 0 w/tungsten 250 particles 20 0 150 0 20 4 0 6 0 8 0

upper limit: Ec = Vm Em + Vp Ep lower limit: 1 Vm Vp = + Ec Em Ep

10 0 vol% tungsten
Adapted from Fig. 16.3, Callister & Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 16.3 is from R.H. Krock, ASTM Proc, Vol. 63, 1963.)

(Cu)

(W)

Application to other properties:

-- Electrical conductivity, se: Replace Es in equations with ses. -- Thermal conductivity, k: Replace Es in equations with ks.
Chapter 16 - 15

Classification: Fiber-Reinforced (i)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural

Fibers very strong in tension Provide significant strength improvement to the composite Ex: fiber-glass - continuous glass filaments in a polymer matrix
Glass fibers
strength and stiffness

Polymer matrix
holds fibers in place protects fiber surfaces transfers load to fibers

Chapter 16 - 16

Classification: Fiber-Reinforced (ii)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural

Fiber Types
Whiskers - thin single crystals - large length to diameter ratios E.g graphite, silicon nitride, silicon carbide high crystal perfection extremely strong, strongest known very expensive and difficult to disperse Fibers polycrystalline or amorphous generally polymers or ceramics Ex: alumina, aramid, E-glass, boron, UHMWPE Wires metals steel, molybdenum, tungsten

Chapter 16 - 17

Longitudinal direction

Fiber Alignment
Adapted from Fig. 16.8, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Transverse direction

aligned continuous

aligned random discontinuous

Chapter 16 - 18

Classification: Fiber-Reinforced (iii)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Aligned Continuous fibers Examples:
-- Metal: g'(Ni3Al)-a(Mo) matrix: a (Mo) (ductile)
by eutectic solidification.

Structural

2 mm

fibers: g (Ni3Al) (brittle)

From W. Funk and E. Blank, Creep deformation of Ni3Al-Mo in-situ composites", Metall. Trans. A Vol. 19(4), pp. 987-998, 1988. Used with permission.

Chapter 16 - 19

Classification: Fiber-Reinforced (iv)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Discontinuous fibers, random in 2 dimensions Example: Carbon-Carbon
-- fabrication process: - carbon fibers embedded in polymer resin matrix, - polymer resin pyrolyzed at up to 2500C. -- uses: disk brakes, gas turbine exhaust flaps, missile nose cones.
(b)

Structural
C fibers: very stiff very strong

C matrix: less stiff view onto plane less strong

500 mm fibers lie in plane

(a)

Other possibilities:
-- Discontinuous, random 3D -- Discontinuous, aligned
Adapted from F.L. Matthews and R.L. Rawlings, Composite Materials; Engineering and Science, Reprint ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2000. (a) Fig. 4.24(a), p. 151; (b) Fig. 4.24(b) p. 151. (Courtesy I.J. Davies) Reproduced with permission of CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Chapter 16 - 20

Classification: Fiber-Reinforced (v)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural Critical fiber length for effective stiffening & strengthening:
fiber ultimate tensile strength

sf d fiber length 2tc

fiber diameter
shear strength of fiber-matrix interface

Ex: For fiberglass, common fiber length > 15 mm needed For longer fibers, stress transference from matrix is more efficient
Short, thick fibers:

sd fiber length f 2 tc

Long, thin fibers:

s d fiber length f 2tc

Low fiber efficiency

High fiber efficiency

Chapter 16 - 21

Classification: Structural
Particle-reinforced
Fiber-reinforced Structural

Laminates -- stacked and bonded fiber-reinforced sheets - stacking sequence: e.g., 0/90 - benefit: balanced in-plane stiffness
Adapted from Fig. 16.16, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Sandwich panels
-- honeycomb core between two facing sheets - benefits: low density, large bending stiffness face sheet adhesive layer honeycomb
Adapted from Fig. 16.18, Callister & Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 16.18 is from Engineered Materials Handbook, Vol. 1, Composites, ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1987.)

Chapter 16 - 22

Composite Benefits
CMCs: Increased toughness
Force
particle-reinf

PMCs: Increased E/r

10
3
2

ceramics PMCs metal/ metal alloys polymers

1 3 10 30

E(GPa)
10

fiber-reinf un-reinf

10 1 0.1 0.01 0.1 0.3

Bend displacement
10 -4

Density, r [mg/m3]
6061 Al
Adapted from T.G. Nieh, "Creep rupture of a silicon-carbide reinforced aluminum composite", Metall. Trans. A Vol. 15(1), pp. 139-146, 1984. Used with permission.

MMCs:

ess (s-1)

10 -6

Increased creep resistance

10 -8

10 -10 20 30 50

6061 Al w/SiC whiskers

s(MPa)
100 200
Chapter 16 - 23

Summary
Composites types are designated by:
-- the matrix material (CMC, MMC, PMC) -- the reinforcement (particles, fibers, structural)

Composite property benefits:

-- MMC: enhanced E, s, creep performance -- CMC: enhanced KIc -- PMC: enhanced E/r, sy, TS/r -- Types: large-particle and dispersion-strengthened -- Properties are isotropic

Particulate-reinforced:
Fiber-reinforced:
-- Types: continuous (aligned) discontinuous (aligned or random) -- Properties can be isotropic or anisotropic

Structural:
-- Laminates and sandwich panels
Chapter 16 - 24