University of Santo Tomas CHE217: FUNDAMENTALS OF

Faculty of Engineering MATERIALS SCIENCE &

Department of Chemical Engineering ENGINEERING
Name(s):
Date Performed:7/6/2020
De Lara, Angelyn R.
Date Submitted: 7/22/2020
Dimaporo, Sittie Ayenah D.
Instructor: Prof. Ma. Natalia R. Dimaano,
Group No: 4
PhD

An Overview of Composite Materials

I. BACKGROUND
A composite material is a combination of two or more materials having significantly different
physical or chemical properties resulting in better properties than those of the individual components. The
constituents retain their identities in the composite; that is they do not dissolve or merge completely into
each other even though they act in concert. Composites are also one of the most widely used materials
because of their adaptability to different situations and the relative ease of combination with other materials
to serve specific purposes and exhibit desirable properties.

Composites also exist in nature. Wood is a composite which is made from long cellulose fibers
combined together by a much weaker substance called lignin. Cellulose is also found in cotton but without
the other material, the cotton remains soft and weaker. Another example of natural composites is the bones
in a human body. It is made from a hard but brittle material called hydroxyapatite and a soft and flexible
material called collagen. Collagen on its own would not be much use in the skeleton but if it's combined
with hydroxyapatite, it can give the bone the properties that are needed to support the human body.

People have been making composites for many thousands of years. One early example is mud
bricks. Mud can be dried out into a brick shape to give a building material. It is strong but it breaks quite
easily. Straw seems very strong if stretched but crumples up easily. By mixing mud and straw together it is
possible to make bricks that are resistant to both squeezing and tearing and make excellent building blocks.
Another ancient composite is concrete. Concrete is a mix of aggregate, cement and sand. It has good
compressive strength.

II. STRUCTURE
Composites are combinations of two materials in which one of the materials is called the reinforcing
phase and the other material called the matrix phase. The constituents of composites are:
● Primary phase or the Matrix phase. Usually more ductile and less hard phase. It holds the second
phase and shares a load with it. It also provides the bulk form of the part or product made of the

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 composite material. The matrix phase holds the embedded phase in place, usually enclosing and
often concealing it. When a load is applied, the matrix shares the load with the secondary phase, in
some cases deforming so that the stress is essentially born by the reinforcing agent.
● Secondary phase or the Reinforcement phase. Its function is to reinforce the primary phase. It
also takes the form of an infiltrated phase in a skeletal or porous matrix. Reinforcement phase is
most commonly one of the following shapes: fibers, particles, or flakes.
Other composite structures are the laminar composite structure, sandwich structure, and honeycomb
sandwich structure.
● Laminar composite structure. Two or more layers bonded together in an integral piece.
Other laminar composites are
1. FRPs- multi layered, fiber-reinforced plastic panels for aircraft, boat hulks, and
other products
2. Printed circuit boards- layers of reinforced copper and plastic for electrical
conductivity and insulation
3. Snow skis- layers of metals, particle board, and phenolic plastic
4. Windshield glass- two layers of glass on either side of a sheet of tough plastic
● Foam core sandwich structure. Relatively thick core of low density foam bonded on both faces
to a thin sheet of a different material.
● Honeycomb core sandwich structure. Achieve high ratios of strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-
weight.

III. PROPERTIES
● Fire resistance. The use of phenolic resins allowed composites to withstand fire.
● Electrical properties. Composites are highly insulating materials because of their structure which
does not allow electricity to pass through.
● High strength to weight ratio. Composites have the applications in the field where high strength
and lightweight together are required.
● Light weight. Due to the combination of two different materials having different properties,
composites are lightweight.
● Chemical and weather resistant. Composite products have good weathering properties and resist
the attack of a wide range of chemicals. This depends on the resin used in manufacturing.
● Translucency. Some composites have the quality jto allow light to pass diffusely.
● Thermal conductivity. Composites have low thermal conductivity because they have a structure
that cannot conduct heat properly.

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IV. TECHNOLOGIES INVOLVED
● Commercial and residential construction. Entire homes can be framed using plastic laminated
beams and trusses instead of traditional wood framing. By coating the beams with plastic,
manufacturers reduce the risk of rot or termite damage, which extends the life expectancy of the
structure.
● Aerospace industry. Composites have exceptional strength and stiffness-to-density ratios to be
used in aerospace applications. Composites are lightweight and overcome the barriers created by
using metals.
● Air industry. Modern aircraft would be much less efficient if composite weren't available.
Composites like fiberglass-reinforced aluminum or carbon fiber create materials light enough to
fly, but strong enough to handle the pressure of high altitudes and frequent abuse.
● Military. Carbon-based composite fibers are often used to make bulletproof vests and other
ballistic protection devices. These fibers produce lightweight body armor options that offer
effective protection from bullets, flames and some explosives. One example is Kevlar. Kevlar is
five times stronger than steel and yet only half as dense as fiberglass. Kevlar saved thousands of
lives and revolutionized protective gear for lawn enforcement and military personnel.
● Sports. Other sports equipment such as skis and surfboards contain composite to add flexibility
while maintaining durability.
● Marine transportation. Composites reduce maintenance and offer superior performance when it
comes to manufacturing boats. It uses fiberglass or thermoplastics to avoid rotting and warping
over time. It is also lightweight enough to stay afloat, yet strong enough to resist punctures and
cracking.
● Automotive. Composites enable lighter vehicles and are more fuel efficient.
● Energy. Composites redefine the energy industry. Composites enable the use of wind and solar
power and improve the efficiency of traditional energy suppliers.
● Infrastructure. Composites are used to construct and repair a wide variety of infrastructure
applications, from buildings and bridges to roads and railways.
● Pipe and tank. Fiber-reinforced polymer composite pipes are used for everything from sewer
upgrades and wastewater projects to desalination, oil and gas applications.

V. HEAT TREATMENT
Different types of composite materials vary on a case by case basis when subjected to heat
treatment. A few scientific studies conducted on specific composite materials relative to the application of
heat treatment are as indicated.

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 ● Composite resin. In the heat treatment, the flexural strength of direct composites was affected
although there was no observation for hardness. Direct composites containing a simple post-cure
heat treatment can be a probable alternative for current indirect composite systems, although in
order to verify other properties of composites for this appeal, further studies are to be made.
● PTFE/PMMA composites. Under different heat treatments, the thermal properties of the
PTFE/PMMA composites significantly increased. There was a change in the friction coefficient,
but there was also a significant decrease in the wear rate. Additionally, the main wear mechanisms
of the composite were fatigue wear and abrasive wear with a minor adhesive wear.
● Al-Si composites. Due to heat treatment, there is an increase of 56% in 0.2% proof stress value,
and an increase of 38% in the hardness. At peak age temperature, a change of 36% in the tensile
strength was observed. The impact strength remains nearly constant as the aging temperature
increases. Particle decohesion and fracture both arise simultaneously, wherein the composite is
fracturing under brittle fracture.
● Aluminum LM13 – MgOp Metal Matrix Composites. The formation of Aluminum LM13
composites were established with uniform scattering of MgO particles. As the substance of MgO
particles expanded, the hardness of the composites generally expanded as well. Heat treatment
significantly affects Brittle hardness of Aluminum LM13 alloy and its composites. The matrix alloy
and its composites attained its greatest hardness under ice extinguishing by maturing for a certain
amount of time.
● Carbon−Carbon Composites. Upon heat treatment, PAN-based carbon fibers exhibited
contraction of diameters and elongation of length, a degradation of the tensile strength of the fiber
was observed that decreased the tensile strength of the C–Cs as a result. A decrease in the interfacial
strength between the fiber and the matrix occurred with an increased HTT.

VI. CORROSION ASPECTS

Majority of composite materials do not rust or corrode. One of the most common examples are
glass fiber reinforced polymer ductwork (FRP) subjected under harsh chemical environments that would
last roughly for 25 years. Composites provide corrosion-resistant solutions for industries like air pollution
control, chemical processing, desalination, food and beverage, mineral processing and mining, oil and gas,
pulp and paper, solid waste landfill and water and wastewater treatment. The preferred resin and
reinforcement used within the composite determines its corrosion resistance. Most resin systems are
available, but reinforcements are limited, which both offer long-term resistance to varying chemical and
temperature environments. A suitably constructed composites deliver the least maintenance with a long-
life service.

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 Most resins are designed to provide corrosion resistance and protect the fibers in composites. It can
also offer protection against specific conditions such as caustic solutions, acidic environments, alkaline
environments, oxidizing chemicals and high temperatures. Isophthalic resins along with epoxy vinyl ester
resins are commonly used today. The role of reinforcements in corrosion resistance is also vital in the
laminate of specific areas in a composite structure. It provides strength for a composite and heat resistance
or conduction, resistance to corrosion and provides rigidity.

VII. CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPOSITES

A. The first level of classification is with respect to the matrix constituent. Major composite classes
include Organic Matrix Composites (OMCs), Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) and Ceramic
Matrix Composites (CMCs).
● Organic Matrix Composites (OMCs).This composite material consists of asphalt
concrete, polymer concrete, mastic asphalt, mastic roller hybrid, dental composite,
syntactic foam and mother of pearl.Two classes of composites in OMC’s are generally
assumed as its constitutes, particularly Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs) and carbon
matrix composites or carbon-carbon composites.
● Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs).This class of composite material consists of a
metallic alloy matrix; aluminum, magnesium, copper, titanium, which is commonly
augmented in the form of particles of a ceramic phase. MMCs provide high thermal and
electrical conductivity, good resistance to harsh environments, good impact and erosion
resistance and good fatigue and fracture properties.
● Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs).This material consists of particulates, fibers, or
whiskers of ceramic material ingrained in a matrix of another ceramic. CMCs manifest
enhanced high temperature creep behavior and resistance to thermal shock. It can be used
in the components of automobile and aircraft gas turbine engines for some CMCs.

B. The second level of classification is with reference to reinforcement forms such as fibre reinforced
composites, laminar composites and particulate composites.
● Fiber reinforced composites. Composed of fibers enclosed by matrix materials. For
composite properties of such composite that are dependent on the length of the fiber, it is
categorized as a discontinuous fiber composite. On the other hand, when an increase in
fiber length does not lead to the increase of elastic modulus of the composite, it is
considered as a continuous fiber reinforced. The fibers have efficient tensile properties but

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 due to their low measurement in diameter, it can twist, bend, or buckle when pressed
axially, which would require reinforcement to prevent such irregularity.
● Laminar composite. It is made up of material layers that are stacked or cemented
together by the matrix in such a way that the direction of the high strength varies with each
succeeding layer. The properties of this composite are dependent on the properties of its
constituents & geometrical design. In this composite category, sandwich structures are the
most common example.
● Particulate composites. Consist of particles that can be either in flakes or powdered,
where it is dispersed or embedded in a binding matrix. The response of a particulate
composite can be either anisotropic or orthotropic. When such a composite is utilized, it is
used for designs 2that do not require strength as a factor.
VIII. ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS
A. Advantages
1. Composites are lighter in terms of weight than most metals which in effect provides better
fuel efficiency in aircrafts.
2. It exudes an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, which means that it is a material designed
to be light yet strong.
3. It resists corrosion and damage from different harsh environments, and extreme changes in
temperature.
4. It is flexible in terms of design, which can be shaped into complicated figures or form than
other materials.
5. It provides dimensional stability in which it can preserve its size and shape when subjected
to a change in temperature and moisture in the atmosphere.
6. It has a property that allows radar signals to pass through the material.
7. Composite materials are durable and low maintenance.
B. Limitations
1. Its layers on a laminate structure can delaminate when it becomes weak.
2. It is high cost because the labor in the process of fabrication is rigorous and complex.
3. Cracks or delimitation on the material requires intricate damage inspection.
4. Composite and metal joining are likely to fail because metals tend to expand and contract
more than composites when subjected to different temperatures.

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VIIII. REFERENCES
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2. Composite Structures. (n.d.). NDT Research Center. https://www.nde-
ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Structure/composite.htm
3. Composite Structures. (n.d.). NDT Research Center. https://www.nde-
ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Structure/composite.htm
4. Composite Materials. (n.d.-b). Wiley Online Library.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/cookieAbsent
5. Soni, S., & Pandey, A. (2014). Effect of heat treatment on mechanical behavior and structural
response of Al-Si composite. International Journal of Advanced Mechanical Engineering, 4(7),
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10. McCauley, R. A. (2004). Corrosion of ceramic and composite materials. CRC Press.
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