Composite Materials

Contents:
•Advantages
•Applications
•Limitations

by
Manruth shetty
 Advantages of Composites:
• High specific strength
• Design freedom
• Structural efficiency/stability
• Toughness
• Corrosion resistance
• Fatigue life
• Acoustic dampening
• Thermal insulation (ability to virtually fire proof)
• Electrical insulation
• Less parts (Large part size possible)
• High volume production
• Cost-effective fabrication
• Good abrasion resistance
• Good puncture resistance
• Long life
• Low maintenance
• Low through life costs
Specific strength of different materials
Applications of composite materials:

Lance Armstrong’s 2-lb.

Trek bike, 2004 Tour de
France

Pedestrian bridge in
Denmark, 130 feet long
(1997)

Swedish Navy, Stealth

(2005)
 Applications in different fields
Aircraft/Aerospace
Transportation 0.7%
30.6%

Construction
20%
Other- 3.4%

Consumer
Products - Marine - 11.6%
6%
Electrical/ Appliance/Business
Electronic - 10% Equipment - 5.3%
Corrosion-Resistant
Equipment - 12.4%

SOURCE: SPI Composites Institute

 Composites in Construction process
A cloth of woven carbon fibre filaments,
a common element in composite
materials
Aluminum composite

Column Wrapping Device

Plywood is a common composite

Base layer of asphalt concrete in a road material that many people encounter in
under construction their everyday lives
Steel reinforced concrete being laid
 Current aerospace applications:
• Starting from 0% Composites in 1975 to:
 Airbus A380
~25% composites
~70 tons per aircraft
 Boeing 787
~50 % composites
~55 tons per aircraft

• Composites now make up a $7.3 billion market

expected to quadruple in the next 20 years
Advanced aircraft and aerospace vehicles rely heavily on composites.
The carbon-fibre reinforced polymers used in aircraft bodies. A high-performance wing, made
from a carbon-reinforced epoxy, is very lightweight, stiff, and strong, with an exceptional
strength-to-weight ratio.

The wings of this Saab

fighter are produced of
carbon reinforced epoxy,
by manual fibre
moulding, followed by
autoclave injection
moulding.
CNT Polymer Composites
 SMC
Sheet Molding
Compound

SMC
Sheet Molding
Compound
 Automotive Plastics and Composites Use
• Exterior Composite Panels
– doors
• Sheet Molded Compound (SMC): Camaro , Firebird and Corvette
• Resin Transfer Molding (RTM): Viper
– hoods
• Sheet Molded Compound (SMC): Camaro , Firebird, Corvette, Ford trucks
• Resin Transfer Molding (RTM): Viper, Heavy duty trucks)
– bumper beams
• Glass Mat Thermoplastic (GMT): Camaro , Firebird, Venture, Transport,
• Interior
– floor pan
• Resin Transfer Molding (RTM): Corvette
• Engine
– valve covers, intake manifolds, fluid containers, etc.
 Composites in sports
• Snow Equipment
– skis, snow boards, snow mobiles, etc.

• Water Sports Equipment

– water skis, water crafts, snorkel equipment, fishing gear

– diving equipment

• Land Sports Equipment

– shoes, roller blades, skate boards, tennis, golf
• Air Sports Equipment
– plane kits
 Cermets (metals + ceramics)

• Machining : The combination of wear

resistance, speed and increased toughness
can make cermets outstanding in machining
applications.
• They are also used in resistors and electronic
circuits since they can withstand high
temperatures
 Biomedical application
• They include implants( hips, heart
valves, skin & teeth)
• Surgical and diagnostic devices
• Pacemakers
• Wheelchairs and exercise
equipments
• Pharmaceutical packaging

• Bone replacement & bone growth

materials
 Other applications

Flexible composite material

Honey comb composite

Insulating composite sheet E-glass-cloth-composite-materials

Limitations of composite materials
• Difficulties in Disposal
• Difficulties in Recycling
• Susceptibility to Impact damage
• Difficulties with Inspection
• Difficulties with Repair
• Difficulties to stick to other materials
• Cost of tooling and layup
• Cost of raw materials
Source: Internet
References:
[1] Y. Xu and D.D.L. Chung, “Low-Volume-Fraction Particulate Preforms for Making Metal-
Matrix
Composites by Liquid Metal Infiltration,” J. Mater. Sci. 33(19), 4707–4710 (1998).
[2] S.-W. Lai and D.D.L. Chung, “Consumption of Si C Whiskers by the Al-Si C Reaction in
Aluminium -
Matrix SiCWhisker Composites”, J. Mater. Chem. 6(3), 469–477 (1996).
[3] P. Yih and D.D.L. Chung, “A Comparative Study of the Coated Filler Method and the
Admixture
Method of Powder Metallurgy for Making Metal-Matrix Composites,” J. Mater. Sci. 32(11),
2873–
2894 (1997).
[4] P. Yih and D.D.L. Chung, “Titanium Diboride Copper-Matrix Composites,” J. Mater. Sci. 32(7),
1703–1709 (1997).
Further Reading:
D.R. Askeland and P.P. Phule, The Science and Engineering of Materials, 5th Edition, Thomson,
Toronto,
2006, Chaps. 16, 17 and 18.
D.D.L. Chung, “Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness of Carbon Materials”,
Carbon
39(2), 279–285 (2001).
THANK YOU