ME5700- Analysis and Design of

Composite Structures

Evaluation
Quiz (75 marks)
Assignments (25 marks)

Dr. Gangadharan Raju

 Reference text books
Mechanics of Composite materials- Robert M Jones

Mechanics of Composite structures- Kollar and Springer

Finite element analysis of Composite material with Abaqus-

Barbero

Engineering mechanics of Composite material- Daniel & Ishai

Structural analysis of laminated anisotropic plates - Whitney

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Introduction to Composite materials

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 WHAT is a Composite material?

“A composite material is a structural material that consists of

two or more constituents which are combined at macroscopic
level to form a useful third material.”
Properties:
-Stiffness
-Strength
-Corrosion resistance
-Fatigue life
-Weight
-Damping
-Thermal properties
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 Constituents of a Composite material

Primary Phase
-Forms the matrix phase in which the secondary phase is
imbedded
- Any of the three material types: metals, ceramics, polymers

Secondary Phase
-Reinforcing constituent
-Strength and Stiffness
-Any of the three material types

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Materials evolution- Ashby

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 Structural Materials

Classification Density Thermal Mechanical Chemical Properties

stability Properties

Metals Medium- Good Excellent Improved by alloying

high
Ceramics Low- Very good Very rigid, Good
medium but brittle
Polymers Low Poor Good for Good, Moderate
shaping and resistance to
joining, Low environmental
strength degradation
and stiffness

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 Classification of Composite materials

Composites

Fibrous Laminated Particulate

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 Fibrous Composites
Fiber reinforcements
High strength, stiffness properties of Fiber form ?

-Crystals, molecules
are aligned along
loading direction
-Minimal defects

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 Griffith’s equation

Surface energy
2𝐸𝛾
𝜎=
𝜋𝑎
Length of defect

Defects have no effect on modulus.

Defects of zero length lead to infinitely strong materials

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 Fibrous Composites
Fiber reinforcements
Maximize interface area?
D
d

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 Fibrous Composites

-Flexibility in forming
Allows formation of complex shapes out of stiff and strong materials
by using low forces without breaking the fibers

Maximum axial strain in a fiber of diameter d bent to a radius 𝜌

𝑑
|𝜀max | =
2𝜌
Glass fiber: d=10µm, ρ=2.54mm, failure strain = 0.05
One order less than
|𝜀max | = 1.97 × 10−3
Failure strain
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 Fibrous Composites
-Availability of more fabrication techniques

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 Fibrous Composites
Limitations:
-Requirements of large number of fibers, fibers need to be aligned
and slightly tensioned

-Variability in fiber mechanical

properties

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Domino effect in dry fibers

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Dr. Gangadharan Raju
Dr. Gangadharan Raju
 Fibers for Structural application

Glass fiber Carbon fiber Aramid fiber

Low Stiffness High Stiffness Medium Stiffness
Medium Strength High Strength Medium Strength
Low cost High cost Medium cost
Alkali resistant Excellent ductility,
toughness and impact
resistance

Selection based on:- Strength and Stiffness requirements

- Cost and availability

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 Glass fibers

-First modern structural composite was GFRP

-SiO2 primarily used
-Fabricated by mechanical drawing of molten glass through a small
orifice
-E-glass is the widely used reinforcement
-S-glass is the 2nd most popular glass fiber used
-Stronger than most advanced fiber, but low stiffness limits its
application to aerospace structures
-Widely used in automobile industry
-Glass fibres are isotropic in nature
-Fiber dia 10µm
-Susceptible to environmental attack and fatigue

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Carbon fibers

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 Carbon fibers

-Most widely used advanced fiber

-Mainly aerospace application
-Produced by subjecting organic precursor fibers (Eg. Poly Acrylo
Nitrile (PAN), rayon pitch) to a sequence of heat treatments
High temp
Percursor fiber Carbon fiber
Pyrolysis

-Graphite fibers contain 99% carbon because of pyrolysis done at

higher temperature (1900 deg Celsius) compared to Carbon fiber
(95 % C, 1300 deg Celsius)
-Relatively expensive
-Carbon fibers are anisotropic in nature
-Fiber dia 5-15µm
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Carbon fibers

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 Aramid fibers

-Commercial trade name Kevlar, originally produced by EI du Pont

De Neumours Company
- Made from Aromatic Polyamide – family of nylons
-Melt spun from a liquid solution
-High tensile strength, Intermediate modulus
-Poor compressive strength
-𝜌𝑘𝑒𝑣𝑙𝑎𝑟 ≅ 𝜌𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 , 𝜎𝑢 𝑘𝑒𝑣𝑙𝑎𝑟 ≅ 𝜎𝑢 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝐸𝑘𝑒𝑣𝑙𝑎𝑟 ≅ 2𝐸𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
-Very low elongation up to breaking point
-Fiber dia 12µm
-Fibers do not bond well leading to a weak fiber/matix interface
-Weak interface gives excellent energy absorption
-Used to make bulletproof vests and helmets

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 Dyneema
-Made from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
-Normal polyethylene, low orientation, low molecular weight,
Crystallinity < 60%
-Dyneema, very high molecular orientation and weight,
Crystallinity approximately 95%
-Extremely stronger, 15times strong than steel, very light-weight
-Fiber dia 9~30µm

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 Boron fibers
-Ceramic fiber
-Actually substrate of carbon or Tungsten core of 12µm with Boron
coating
-Fiber itself a composite
-Circular cross-section
-Largest fiber dia among fibers (50~200µm)
-Strong in both tension and compression
-Boron is brittle, lower flexibility
-High cost of production

Tungsten

Boron

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 Silicon Carbide
-Ceramic fiber
-Chemical vapor deposition of SiC on tungsten or carbon
-Excellent oxidation resistance and high temperature strength
retention (above 1000 0C)
-Used in high temperature applications with ceramic or metal
matrices
-Fiber dia 14µm
- 𝜎𝑢 , 𝐸 𝑆𝑖𝐶 ≅ 𝜎𝑢 , 𝐸 𝐵𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑛

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 Fibrous Composites
Fiber architecture

Continuous Discontinuous

Unidirectional Woven Random Preferred

orientation orientation

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 Fibrous Composites

Continuous Woven Chopped

Individual No distinct Short fibers are randomly
laminae oriented laminae dispersed in a matrix.
in required
directions and
bonded together
Inter-laminar Strength and Mechanical properties are
strength is stiffness poor comparatively
matrix sacrificed
dominated- because of cross-
Delamination a overs
concern

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 Matrix

Properties?

-Lower stiffness, strength, density than fibers

Ceramics
Temperature
Matrices Metals Cost resistance
Polymers

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 Matrix materials

Functions:
-Aligning the fibers
-Transfer of load between the fibers

𝜎𝑓 Fiber tensile stress

𝜏𝑖 Interface shear stress

𝜋 2 𝑙 𝑙 1 𝜎𝑓
𝑑 𝜎𝑓 = 𝜋𝑑 𝜏𝑖 =
4 2 𝑑 2 𝜏𝑖

1 𝜎𝑓
Critical length of fiber 𝑙𝑐 = 𝑑
2 𝜏𝑖
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 Matrix materials

Functions:
-Assisting the fibers in providing compression strength and modulus
to the composites

-Assisting the fibers in providing shear strength and modulus to the

Composites

-Protecting the fiber from environmental attack

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 Matrix

Matrix

Polymer Metal
Ceramic Carbon

Aluminum
Thermoplastic Thermoset Titanium Silicon carbide
Magnesium Silicon nitride

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 Polymer Matrix
Polymer is a non-metallic organic compound of higher molecular weight consisting
of a very long chain of monomers.

Vinyl chloride Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) Repeating unit

Classifications:

Linear Branched Cross-linked

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 Polymer Matrix

Thermoplastic: polymeric material consists of branched polymer

chains. They can be reshaped by applying heat.
Eg: Nylon, Polyvinyl Chloride, Polyeurathane, Poly Ether Ether
Ketone (PEEK)
-High toughness, low moisture absorption, simple processing cycles
-Temperature range <4250C
-Low toxity
-High cost
-High viscosity

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 Polymer Matrix

Thermoset: polymeric material consists of cross-linked polymers.

Once cured or hardened by a chemical reaction does not soften or
melt upon subsequent heating.
Eg: phenolics, polyesters, epoxies.
-Low cost, good mechanical strength, low viscosity
-Temperature <1500C
-Toxic
-Moisture absorption
-Low viscosity

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 Polymer Matrix

Limitations:
-Limited temperature range
-Susceptible to environmental degradation due to moisture absorption
and radiation
-High residual stresses due to thermal mismatch between matrix and
Fiber properties
-Polymer matrix cannot be used near or above the glass transition
temperature

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 Metal Matrix

-Aluminum, Tungsten, Copper

-Higher temperature range < 12500C
Eg. Aluminum matrix composite-temperature range > 3000C
-Higher strength, stiffness and ductility at the expense of high density

Limitations:
-Heavier
-More susceptible to fiber matrix interface degradation due to corrosion

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 Ceramic Matrix

-Silicon carbide, Silicon nitride,

-Higher temperature range < 16500C
-High elastic modulus
-Low density

Limitations:
-Poor tensile strength
-Brittle

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 Carbon Matrix

Carbon fibers in carbon matrix- carbon-carbon composite

-Higher temperature range < 27500C
-Used under extreme mechanical and thermal environments (aerospace
applications)
-Resistance to damage
-Resistance to thermal shock
-Low coefficient of thermal expansion (excellent dimensional stability)

Limitations:
-Expensive

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 Fiber/Matrix systems

Notation:
fiber/matrix
Carbon/Epoxy, Glass/Epoxy, Kevlar/Epoxy

Examples:
IM8/Epoxy
T700/M21 CFRP
T200/5204 composites
AS4/PEEK

Kevlar/Epoxy
S2 Glass/Epoxy
SCS-6/Ti-15-3
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Properties of Fiber and Matrix materials

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Reduction in composite
properties compared to
Fibers
Degree of Orthotropy

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 Laminated Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Terminologies:

Lamina

Laminates

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 Combination of laminates

Fibrous + Laminated composites

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 Particulate Composites

Non-metallic particles in Non-metallic matrix

Eg: Concrete
Metallic particles in Non-metallic matrix
Eg: Solid Propellants, Aluminum paint
Metallic particles in Metallic matrix
Eg: Lead particles in copper alloys
Non-metallic particles in metallic matrix
Eg: Cermets, Tungsten carbide in Cobalt matrix

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 Mechanical behavior of Composites
Definitions
A homogeneous body has uniform properties throughout.

An isotropic body has material properties that are same in every directions at
a point in a body.

An inhomogeneous body has non-uniform properties over the body.

An orthotropic body has material properties that are different in three mutually
perpendicular directions at a point in the body and has three mutually
perpendicular planes of material property symmetry

An anisotropic body has material properties that are

different in all directions over the body.

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 Advantages and Limitations
Structural design, Analysis and Optimization
-Unique possibility of designing the material, manufacturing procedure and the
structure in one unified and concurrent process.
-Larger design flexibility

Mechanical Characterization
-Extensive experimental tests to determine the material parameters

Manufacturing Technology
-Structural parts fabricated with simple tooling

Maintainability, Serviceability and Durability

-Operate in hostile environments for long periods of time

Cost effectiveness
-Reduced number of parts and joints, fewer assembly operations
-High cost of raw materials, Expensive manufacturing process, Skilled labor

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites
Initial form of fibers and matrix: Prepreg

Woven fabric

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites
Composite manufacturing process developed over the last 40 years
- Contact moulding
- Compression moulding
- Vaccumbag/autoclave moulding
- Rotational moulding
- Resin transfer moulding
- Tape wrapping
- Filament winding
- Pultrusion
- Expanding bladder moulding

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites

Fabrication techniques classification

Direct process:
RTM, Pultrusion, Contact moulding

Indirect Process:
Vaccum/autoclave moulding, Compression moulding

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites

Ideal manufacturing process:

- High Productivity
- Minimum material cost
- Maximum geometrical flexibility
- Maximum property flexibility
- Minimum finishing requirement
- Reliable and high quality manufacture

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 Contact moulding

- Primitive and widely used manufacturing technique

- Quality dependent on skill of the human workforce
- Difficult to control voids
- Flexible process

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 Vacuum bag\Autoclave moulding

- Widely used process in the aerospace industry

- High quality specimens
- Costly process
- Low productivity

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 Vacuum bag\Autoclave moulding

Honeycomb Sanwich with prepreg for Autoclave cure:

Geometrical flexibility in shape and size better than any other process

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 Filament winding

- Widely used for manufacturing

Pressure vessels and rocket motors
- Low cost with high reliability and
quality

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 Resin transfer moulding

- Geometrical flexibility, low productivity cycles, low value added

materials

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 Resin transfer moulding

Automotive panel manufactured via RTM

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Manufacturing of Laminated Composites

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites

Automated Tape Laying (ATL)

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites

Curing refers to process solidification of polymer matrix

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 Manufacturing of Laminated Composites
Curing can be performed using heated mold, hot press and autoclave

Hot press Autoclave

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 Manufacturing defects in composites

Variability, fibre waviness and misalignment in the determination of the

properties of composite materials and structures, Potter et al, Comp Part A,
39(9), 2008.

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Manufacturing defects in composites

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Manufacturing defects in composites

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Dr. Gangadharan Raju
 WHY we use Composite material?

Composites:
-High Specific Stiffness and Strengths
-Tailorable design
-Fatigue life
-Dimensional stability
-Corrosion resistance
-Thermal properties

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Limitations:
-Complex failure
-Costly inspection
-Difficult to repair
-Cost of materials
-High initial cost of tooling, production set-up
-Defects characterisation
-Environmental issues
-Skilled labour

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 HOW we use Composite material?

Aerospace Automobile Wind Energy

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 Usage of composites-Aircraft

Boeing 777 Boeing Dreamliner

Launched in 2000 Launched in 2007
11 % Composites 50% Composites
70% Aluminum 20% Aluminum
7% Titanium 15% Titanium
11% Steel 10% Steel
1% Other 5% Other

20% more fuel consumption efficiency, 35000 lb reduction in weight

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 Mechanical behavior of Composites
Micromechanics is the study of composite material behavior where in the
interaction of the constituent materials is examined on a microscopic scale to
determine their effect on the properties of the composite material.
Macromechanics is the study of composite material behavior where in the
material is presumed homogeneous and effects of the constituent material are
detected only as average apparent macroscopic properties of the composite material

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Mechanical behavior of Composites

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