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Module 2
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Fibers
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Fibers are the principal constituents in a fiber – reinforced
composite material.
• They occupy the largest volume fraction in a composite
laminate and share the major portion of the load acting on
a composite structure.
• Proper selection of the fiber type, fiber volume fraction,
fiber length, and fiber orientation is very important, since
it influences the following characteristics of a composite
laminate:
➢ Density
➢ Tensile strength and modulus
➢ Compressive strength and modulus
➢ Fatigue strength as well as fatigue failure mechanisms
➢ Electrical and thermal conductivities
➢ Cost
Carbon Fiber
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ordered and to turns toward a true graphitic form.
Pitch, a by-product of petroleum refining or coal coking, is
a lower cost precursor than PAN.
• Heating to temperatures above 300 Deg. C, polymerizes
(joins) these molecules into long, two-dimensional sheet
like structures.
• While passing through the spinner et die, the meso-phase
pitch molecules become aligned in the filament direction.
• The filaments are cooled to freeze the molecular
orientation, and subsequently heated between 200 Deg. C
and 300 Deg. C in an oxygen containing atmosphere to
stabilize them and make them infusible (to avoid fusing
the filaments together).
• In the next step, the filaments are carbonized at
temperatures around 2000 Deg. C.
• The rest of the process of trans forming the structure to
graphitic form is similar to that followed for PAN
precursors.
Carbon Fibre Fabrication
Fiberization
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Stabilization
Carbonization
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outside air pressure and the points where the fibers enter
and exit the furnace are sealed to keep oxygen from
entering.
• As the fibers are heated, they begin to lose their non-
carbon atoms, plus a few carbon atoms, in the form of
various gases including water vapor, ammonia, carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and others.
• As the non-carbon atoms are expelled, the remaining
carbon atoms form tightly bonded carbon crystals that are
aligned more or less parallel to the long axis of the fiber.
• In some processes, two furnaces operating at two
different temperatures are used to better control the rate
of heating during carbonization.
Graphitization
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Arrangement of carbon atoms in a graphite crystal.
• High in stiffness
• High in tensile strength
• Has a low weight to strength ratio
• High in chemical resistance
• Temperature tolerant to excessive heat
• Has low thermal expansion
• Bike frames
• Aircraft Wings
• Automotive drive shafts
• Tubing
• Containers
• Propeller blades
• Car components
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CF has a higher modulus and is used for manufacturing
in the aerospace industry.
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A typical molecular structure of an amorphous glass
fiber containing silica network
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Different Forms of Glass Fibre available in market
Natural Fibers
• Examples of natural fibers are jute, flax, hemp, ramie, sisal,
coconut fiber (coir), and banana fiber (abaca).
• All these fibers are grown as agricultural plants in various
parts of the world and are commonly used for making
ropes, carpet backing, bags, and so on.
• The components of natural fibers are cellulose
microfibrils dispersed in an amorphous matrix of lignin
and hemicellulose.
• Depending on the type of the natural fiber, the cellulose
content is in the range of 60 – 80 (weight %) and the lignin
content is in the range of 5 – 20 (weight %).
• In addition, the moisture content in natural fibers can be
up to 20 (weight %).
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Types of Natural Fibers:
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Boron Fiber Fabrication
• The CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) is a process in
which one material is deposited onto a substrate to
produce near theoretical density and small grain size for
the deposited material.
• In CVD the material is deposited on a thin filament.
• The material grows on this substrate and produces a
thicker filament.
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Boron Fiber – Advantages & Disadvantages
Aramid Fiber
➢ Meta- aramid
➢ Para- aramid
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a) Continuous long fibers b) whiskers/short fibers c)
particles
• High strength
• High Chemical Resistance
• High Thermal Resistance
Whiskers – Applications
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
• No unform properties
• Handling is difficult
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