Dr.

Nisrin Abdelal
Composite Materials
ME 594A

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Oldest Composite Material
Straw-reinforced clay bricks !!!!!!
• Matrix = Mud/clay
• Reinforcement = straw

e.g., Reinforced concrete

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 3
 Definition and Characteristics
• Composite material: Two or more different materials when combined
together produce a new material with improved/superior properties
over the constituents (the individual materials).

• Properties are designed to be superior to those of the constituent

materials acting independently.

• The components are combined mechanically, without forming a new

constituent by chemical reaction.

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 Composition of Composites
 Reinforcement: One material which may be either continuous or
discontinuous. Stiffer and stronger
 Matrix: The less stiff and weaker material. Continuous

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 Composites – Key points
• Design goal: Two or more materials are combined to obtain more
desirable combination of properties……mechanical, electrical,
thermal, corrosion resistance….etc

• Key property of composites: “High specific strength”

• High specific strength:

 high strength and Low density ( lighter weight)
 Critical requirement for aircraft structural materials
 Lighter the weight, lower fuel consumption and more
payload
 Economical Reasons!!!
• lighter the weight => lower the fuel consumption=> more passengers and cargo (economical
reason). A Big truck with 8 cylinders Vs small car with four cylinders!!!
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Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Phases of composite materials

Sometimes, because of the chemical interactions or other

processing effects, an additional phase, called interphase, exists
between the reinforcement and the matrix (sizing agent).
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Historical Development
• Straw-reinforced clay bricks –Ancient Egypt

• Iron rods were used to reinforce masonry (‫ )بناء‬in the nineteenth century. Lead to
Steel-reinforced concrete.

• First fiberglass boat was made in 1942, accompanied by the use of reinforced
polymers in aircraft and electrical components

• The first high-strength carbon fibers were introduced in early 1960’s, followed by
applications of advanced composites to aircraft components in 1968.

• Metal-matrix composites such as boron/aluminum were introduced in 1970. the

1980’s marked a significant increase in high-modulus fiber utilization.

• The beginning of the twenty first century opened a new frontier in

nanocomposites: composites have a phase of dimension on the order of
nanometers. Composite materials science is in continuous developments !!!!
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 9
 Classification of Composites (1)

With respect to the MATRIX

Polymer Matrix Ceramic Matrix Metallic Matrix

Composites Composites Composites
(PMC) (CMC) (MMC)

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Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Classification of Composites (2)
Fiber Reinforced
Polymer (FRP)
Composites

Laminate
Composites Layers of
With respect to fiber with
different
the orientations
Reinforcement
Sandwich
Structure

Particulate
Composites
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Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Classification of Composites-wrt reinforcement

Fibers, whiskers, flakes

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Classification of Composites-wrt reinforcement

Particulate composites
Continuous discontinuous

Continuous
discontinuous Structural-laminate
discontinuous

Structural-sandwich
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Fibers and Particles Reinforcement
examples

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Fiber Alignment
Longitudinal
direction

Transverse
direction

Aligned Aligned Random

Discontinuous (Long) Discontinuous (short)

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Modern Composites

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 Modern Composites
(Advanced Composites)
Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites
Example: FRP laminates

Fiber +45°
Polymer matrix
reinforcement 90°

-45°
FRP are not always on the Layers of
form of laminates! 0° fiber with
different
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal orientations 17
 Advanced Composites
• Modern composites, or advanced composites are typically
fiber reinforced plastics (Fiber reinforced polymer FRP
composites)

• FRPs consist of at least two materials

1. Plastic: the matrix which binds the fibers together
2. Fibers: typically with small diameter and long in length (They may
also be short in length to facilitate processing –e.g., injection
molded nylon with glass fibers)
• In general the matrix imparts toughness, or crack resistance,
and the fiber imparts ultimate strength

FRP: fiber reinforced polymer

CFRP: carbon fiber reinforced polymer
GFRP: Glass fiber reinforced polymer
https://www.quartus.com/resources/composites-101/
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Fiber Reinforced Polymer
(FRP)Composites

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Fibers
Glass fiber

1. Carbon
2. Glass Yarn, Tow, Roving, Thread
3. Kevlar
Kelvar fiber
4. Aramid
Tape
5. Boron
6. Dyneema
7. SiC
Unidirectional or woven
8. Steel fabrics or mat (cloth)
etc

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 22

 Fibers
A 6 μm diameter carbon filament compared to a
human hair.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN): A raw material commonly

used to make carbon-fiber.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e43hRaL5jLQ

• 3K carbon fiber is the most popular

• 6K and 9K are easier to work with and easier to wet than 12K
• 12K is the easiest to make, stiffer and heavier in weight. Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Weaving Fabric Structure

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Continuous strand mat
Chopped strand mat

Woven fabrics

Surface veils

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e43hRaL5jLQ

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Polymer Matrix
Thermosets

Phenolic
Epoxy Polyester polyamide resin
polyurethane

Thermoplastics

Polyetherether
Polyethylene Polystyrene Polyamides Nylon polypropylene
ketone (PEEK)

Polymer matrix protects and

separate reinforcement and
transfer stress to dispersed
phase
https://www.fibreglast.com/category/Polyester_Resins
26
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Classifications of Composite Materials wrt Fibers
Composites wrt fibers

Structural

• Continuous fibers:
1. All parallel-
unidirectional

1. Oriented at right angles

to each other-crossly
(cross ply)
Randomly oriented
discontinuous
fiber composites
1. Oriented along several
directions-
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
multidirectional
 Function of the Fiber (Reinforcement)

1. Carry the load

A. 70 to 90% of load carried by fibers
2. Provide structural properties to the
composite
A. Stiffness
B. Strength
C. Thermal stability
3. Provide electrical conductivity or insulation

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Function of the Matrix
Matrix: In a composite material the matrix comprises the stable "fill"
which holds the fiber reinforcement. By itself the matrix is typically much
weaker than the fibers, particularly in tension. The matrix's primary
function is to transfer the loads between the fibers within the composite
material.

1. Binds the fibers together

2. Provides rigidity and shape to the structure
3. Isolates fibers to slow crack propagation
4. Surface quality
5. Corrosion and wear protection for fibers
(protection from the surrounding environment)
6. Homogenous/uniform distribution of the
applied load on the fibers Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Examples of composite reinforcement and matrix

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Reinforcements Pros and Cons
• Reinforcement contributes to determine the composite stiffness and
strength.
• The desirable characteristics of most reinforcing fibers are high strength,
high stiffness, and relatively low density.
• Each type of fibers has its own pros and cons:

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Why Composites?
• Composites have unique advantages over conventional
structural materials (metals) such as:

1. High strength 9. Thermal, electrical and acoustic insulation

2. High stiffness 10. Radar absorption capabilities

3. Long fatigue life 11.Easiness in manufacturing into complex
4. Low density shapes and sizes
5. High corrosion resistance
6. High wear resistance
7. Appearance/smooth surface
8. Environmental stability
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 32
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Scales of Analysis

https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/thermoplastic-composite-demonstrators-eu-roadmap-for-
future-airframes-
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Composite laminates
• A lamina or ply: is a plane (or
curved) layer of unidirectional fibers
or woven fabrics in a matrix (one
layer)

• A laminate is made up of two or

more plies staked together at
various orientations

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Composite Laminates
Varying fiber direction in plies builds
a laminate structure with strength in
more than one direction
+45°

90°

-45°

0°

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Sandwich Structures
High strength composite laminate facing

Film Low density honeycomb core

adhesive
bonds
facings to
core

High strength composite laminate facing Fabricated sandwich panel

• Sandwich structure consists of high strength composite face sheets (which

could be any of the composites: carbon, glass, quartz..etc) bonded to
lightweight foam or honeycomb core (Nomex, wood, aluminum, etc)

• Sandwich structures have extremely high flexural stiffness-to-weight ratio

and are widely used in aerospace structures (especially in wings and skins) –
they resist bending effectively!!!
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Sandwich structure
• Composite Sandwich Core: In a
composite sandwich structure, the
core is a lower density material
placed close to the neutral axis in
order to increase the stiffness to
weight ratio.

• Core materials: Balsa wood,

Nomex honeycomb core, foam,
aluminum honeycomb core, etc

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Sandwich structure

stiffness

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

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Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Fiber-Matrix- Composite Comparision

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 43

Not always like this. Depends on the aramid and carbon type

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Mechanical Properties
Advantages of Carbon Fiber Composites
• Carbon Fiber is approximately 5 times stronger than steel (ultimate tensile
strength ~ 200-800 MPa). It is also 2 times more stiff.

• This material has a really very high strength-to-weight ratio, which makes it
great for almost anything that requires high strength and low weight.

• It has a long working life.

• High corrosion resistance

• Its compressive strength is greater than all the reinforcing material.

• Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (50/50 fiber/matrix, biaxial fabric) E= 30–50

GPa
• Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (70/30 fiber/matrix, unidirectional, along
grain) E= 181GPa
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Mechanical Properties
Carbon Fiber Vs Steel & Aluminum

Young’s Ultimate Density Modulus to Strength to

modulus tensile (g/cm3) density ratio density ratio
(Gpa) strength (specific (specific
(GPa) stiffness) strength)
4130 Steel 200 0.860 7.8 25.6 0.11
2024-T3 70 0.45 2.7 25.9 0.17
Aluminum
Carbon fibers 100-500 3.5-7 1.75 – (57-285) (50- (2-4) (1.75-
2.00 250) 3.5)
plain-weave 42 1.1 1.3 32.3 0.85
carbon fiber
reinforced
laminate

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Mechanical Properties
Carbon Fiber Vs Steel & Aluminum

GPa GPa
2.06 103

0.14 15

2.24 138

1.7 207

0.7 207

0.8 110
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
0.24 70
 Mechanical Properties of certain types of fabrics

Tenacity: the specific stress corresponding with the maximum force on a force/extension curve…Tensile strength to
break the fiber
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Properties of Composite Materials
Depends on:
1. The properties of the constituents
2. The geometry of the constituents
3. The distribution of the phases:
4. The volume (or weight) fraction of
reinforcement (fiber volume fraction or fiber
weight fraction)

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 53
 Applications of Composite Materials
• Applications of composites abound and continue to expand
because of many reasons such as improved properties compared
to constituent materials (competitive properties compared to
traditional materials), competitive price, easiness of formability
into different shapes and sizes..etc. The applications of composite
materials include:

1. Aerospace
2. Military aviation
3. Commercial aviation
4. Automotive/Transportation- Cars
5. Marine - boats
6. Electric circuit boards
7. Sport equipment's – golf rackets
8. Biomedical – artificial human body parts
9. Infrastructure (‫بنية التحتية‬/ ‫)البنيات األساسية‬
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Applications of Composites

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal http://www.toray.com/

Aerospace and Aircrafts

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal http://www.hexcel.com/

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Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 57
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Airbus 350 XWB
• Composites in the fuselage,
wings, engine cowling, wing
fairings, vertical and horizontal
stabilizer, Radom, belly fairings
and tail

• 53% is made of composite

59
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Airbus 350 -XWB

Skin  laminates and sandwich structure (SS)

Stringers Laminates
Overhead bin  sandwich structure
Floor panels  laminates and SS
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 60
Airbus 350 -XWB

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 61

 Boeing 787 Dreamliner

11

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 Sandwich
structure in
wings

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 63

GEnx-2B, GE90 and GE 9X engines

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 64

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Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 67
 F-18
Composites in Wing skin, Fairings, Tail section and Fuselage

Carbon fiber (IM7)

Increased Carbon/ used in Wing and Tail
Epoxy usage in center skins
and Aft fuselage

High strength/durability (AERMET

100) used in flap transmission Improved Toughness Resin
AERMET 100  ultra-high strength (977-3) used in all C/E
type of martensitic alloy steel 68
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal structural applications
 Fighters
 The airframe of a fixed-wing aircraft consists of the
following five major units:

1. Fuselage
2. Wings
3. Stabilizers
4. Flight controls surfaces
5. Landing gear

 Composite structural elements such as horizontal and vertical stabilizers,

flaps, wing skins and various control surfaces have been used in fighter
aircrafts such as the F-14, F-15,F-16, F-18 & F-35 with typical weight
savings of about 20%.

 A fighter plane must be fast, maneuverable, and equipped for attack and
defense. To meet these requirements, the aircraft is highly powered and
has a very strong structure.
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 69
 B2-Stealth Bomber

Stealth bomber made almost entirely of composite materials (carbon fiber

composites 60% of the total airframe) to offset the weight penalty from
traditional heavy radar absorbing materials applied to the exterior. Carbon
fiber composites with certain modifications are radar absorption materials
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 70
 Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment
Technology (HEEET) – Space shuttle
3D woven fabric enables scalable, tailorable heatshield that cuts cost, boosts
performance for future spacecraft.

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZhH2B-EI1I&index=6&list=PLw-
PZFExPNIg9jnTwIrXr8h40AHRDuDDo&t=919s&fbclid=IwAR1nUgv1np4NqfnVE9IrW0uci4PSS6Se3Qa
4wJFyR7Q0mkubs-LRqKmkvok Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Reinforced carbon-carbon
Columbia enterprise (RCC) composite to
Space shuttle withstand high
temperatures above 1,260°C

https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=11443

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Applications – Automotive
• Automotive body is also made up of carbon fiber composites.
Body Panels, Valve covers, Truck beds

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 High Performance Carbon Fiber Driveshafts
Power, Performance, Safety and Reliability

https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/carbon-car-hood-class-a-and-cost-effective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjErH4_1fks
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Lightweight Composite Helmets
Kelvar Carbon

Military Biker
helmet helmet

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 77

Ballistic Materials - Body Armor

• Dyneema and Kevlar/Aramid are the

most used in body armors
• NIJ tests are used to test the
ballistic/protective properties
• Light weight is a critical requirement
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 78
 Ballistic Materials - Body Armor

Dyneema the world's strongest fiber, is respected as the premium brand

for Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMwPE)
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal 79
 Military Vehicles-Armored Vehicles
• The material characteristics of composites are ideally suited to military, defense
and security products.
• Weight reduction, corrosion resistance, material innovation, part consolidation
and prototyping.

Military Vehicles
 Exterior Panels (hoods, fenders,
hatchbacks, doors, window frames,
stowage boxes)

 Under Hood Panels (cooling module,

battery boxes/covers, engine covers)
 Structural (load floors, transmission
covers, ballistic panels)
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose
Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee) with built-
in carbon fiber composite armor.
Shaving some 900 pounds off a Humvee
comparably armored in steel. Promises
to improve such vehicles' fuel economy,
range, maneuverability, and field
transportability. AM General, Rhode Island
80
 Applications – Buildings and Constructions
• Reinforcing concrete beams

Long cable-styed footbridge build in Scotland –

the deck structure rails and a frame towers are
made of glass/polyester and the cables are
Kevlar ropes Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWRN9VYsSwk&fbclid=IwAR1-
XxAMFOb9skUNATyctcrlUb_pNHOTbllCLOIdA5c-_yFw97nQh9UiBLI
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
Applications – Renewable Energy
Wind Turbine blades
Constructing wind turbine blades out
of carbon or glass composites either
in the form of laminates or sandwich
structure ..other types of composites
are also included

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Applications – Biomedical

Foot and leg prosthesis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx56HY5ephw
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
 Applications – Sports
• It is used in making sports equipment such as light weight tennis
rackets, golf stick, helmets and bicycles.

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

 Applications – Transportation
• Boats, Yachts, trains…etc

Cobra tram in
Switzerland
(composites
sandwich
construction)

Glass fiber
composite
boats

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Kevlar Applications

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
http://southtecaviation.com/2017/04/19/d
Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
a42-nose-damage-repair/
• https://dragonplate.com/what-is-carbon-fiber use for definitions..etc
• https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/heatshield-for-extreme-entry-environment-
technology-heeet-a-broader-
mission?fbclid=IwAR2jIrMSTqHJuNGf5qdV96LqHQroR29nocvF_KQtcDiWWfA0MAdUETDCbx8
• https://www.facebook.com/FibreGlastDevelopments/posts/10156768840612453
• https://www.fibreglast.com/category/Polyester_Resins
• https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/continuous-fiber-manufacturing-blurs-the-line-
between-3d-printing-and-
afp?fbclid=IwAR2KS1SU1Z9VygqMHLUul1K0KtOX_Ivy0fOWaP6Fw_yAm_fRXhRLmToX6EI
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e43hRaL5jLQ
• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-composite-and-an-alloy
• https://www.thoughtco.com/applications-of-carbon-fiber-820384
• http://www.cstsales.com/terminology.html
• https://omnexus.specialchem.com/selection-guide/polyetheretherketone-peek-
thermoplastic
• https://omnexus.specialchem.com/tutorial/matrix-polymer-selection-high-temperature-
composite
• https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=16648
• https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/thermoplastic-composite-demonstrators-eu-
roadmap-for-future-airframes-

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal
End of Chapter 1

Dr. Nisrin Abdelal