Mechanics of Composite Materials

ME6093

Lectures # 13

Course Teacher: Dr. Ghulam Asghar

 Previous Lecture
 Composite Materials and Aerospace Construction
 Use of Composites in Helicopters
 Composite Blades
 Consequences of Composite Blades
 Yoke Rotor
 Consequences of Composite Yoke Rotor
 Other Composite Working Components
 Propeller Blades for Airplanes
 Turbine Blades in Composites
 Space Applications
 Today’s Lecture
 Analysis of Viscoelastic and Dynamic Behavior
 Introduction
 Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic
Behavior
 Amorphous vs Crystalline
 Viscoelastic Behavior of Composites
 Dynamic Loading
Analysis of Viscoelastic and
Dynamic Behavior
 Introduction
 During all previous analyses, it has been assumed that the applied
loads are static in nature and that the composite and its
constituents exhibit time-independent linear elastic behavior.

 However, composite structures are often subjected to dynamic

loading caused by vibration or wave propagation.

 In addition, many composites exhibit time-dependent viscoelastic

behavior under load; this is particularly true for composites having
polymeric constituents.

 What is Viscoelastic Behavior?

 In materials science, viscoelasticity is the property of materials that

exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when
undergoing deformation.
 Introduction
 The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation
at a given rate.
 For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness":
for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water.
 Viscosity is defined scientifically as a force multiplied by a time
divided by an area.
 Thus its SI units are newton-seconds per square meter, or pascal-
seconds.
 Viscous materials, like water, resist shear flow and strain linearly
with time when a stress is applied.
 Elastic materials strain when stretched and immediately return to
their original state once the stress is removed.
 Introduction
 Viscoelastic materials have elements of both (viscous and elastic)
properties and exhibit time-dependent strain.

 Whereas elasticity is usually the result of bond stretching

along crystallographic planes in an ordered solid, viscosity is the
result of the diffusion of atoms or molecules inside
an amorphous material.

 Therefore, it can be said that the word “viscoelastic” exhibits

characteristics of both viscous fluids and elastic solids.

 Polymeric materials, which are known to be viscoelastic, may

behave like fluids or solids, depending on the timescale and/or the
temperature.
 Introduction
 For example, polycarbonate, a thermoplastic polymer, is a liquid
during molding at processing temperatures, but is a glassy solid at
service (ambient) temperatures.
 It will deform like a rubber at temperatures just above the glass
transition temperature (Tg).
 However, at temperatures below Tg, it will deform just as much and
in the same way if the test time is long enough.
 We know that ideal Hookean elastic solids are capable of energy
storage under load, but not energy dissipation, whereas ideal
Newtonian fluids are capable of energy dissipation, but not energy
storage.
 Viscoelastic materials, however, are capable of both storage and
dissipation of energy under load.
 Introduction
 Another characteristic of viscoelastic materials is memory.
 Perfectly elastic solids are said to have only “simple memory”
because they remember only the unstrained state and the current
strains depend only on the current stresses.
 Viscoelastic materials have what is often referred to as “fading
memory” because they remember the past in such a way that the
current strains depend more strongly on the recent stress–time
history than on the more distant stress–time history.
 Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic Behavior
 There are four important physical manifestations of viscoelastic
behavior in structural materials, as illustrated by the various
conditions of the uni-axially loaded viscoelastic rod in Figure 8.1.
 First, if the rod is subjected to a constant stress, the resulting strain
will exhibit time-dependent “creep” as shown in Figure 8.1a.
 The time-dependent creep strains are superimposed on the initial
elastic strains.
 Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic Behavior
 Second, if the rod is subjected to a constant strain or displacement,
the resulting stress will exhibit time-dependent “relaxation” as
shown in Figure 8.1b.
 That is, the stress relaxes from the initial elastic stress.
 Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic Behavior
 Third, if the bar is subjected to oscillatory loading, the resulting
stress–strain curve will describe a “hysteresis loop” as shown in
Figure 8.1c.
 The area enclosed by the hysteresis loop is a measure of the
damping or dissipation of energy in the material.
 Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic Behavior
 Fourth, if the bar is loaded at various strain rates, the stress–strain
curves will exhibit strain–rate dependence, as shown in Figure 8.1d.
 That is, the stress corresponding to a given strain depends on the
rate of straining.
 An ideal elastic material exhibits none of the illustrated four
characteristics.
 Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic Behavior
 All structural materials exhibit some degree of viscoelasticity, and
the extent of such behavior often depends on environmental
conditions such as temperature.
 For example, while a structural steel or aluminum material may be
essentially elastic at room temperature, viscoelastic effects become
apparent at elevated temperatures approaching half the melting
temperature.
 Polymeric materials are viscoelastic at room temperature, and the
viscoelastic effects become stronger as the temperature
approaches the glass transition temperature.
 Recall that the glass transition region (Figure 5.1 on next slide) is a
region of transition between glassy behavior and rubbery behavior
and a region characterized by the onset of pronounced viscoelastic
behavior.
Physical Manifestations of Viscoelastic Behavior
 Amorphous vs Crystalline
 Polymers with amorphous microstructures tend to be more
viscoelastic than those with crystalline microstructures.
 As shown in Figure 8.2, amorphous microstructures consist of
three-dimensional (3D) arrangements of randomly entangled long-
chain polymer molecules that are often characterized by analogy to
a “bowl of spaghetti”.
 Amorphous vs Crystalline
 On the other hand, crystalline microstructures consist of regular, ordered
crystalline arrays of atoms (Figure 8.2).
 Some polymers have both amorphous and crystalline components in their
microstructures, and some polymers are purely amorphous.
 For example, a semi-crystalline polymer may consist of crystalline
“islands” in an amorphous “sea,” and the degree of crystallinity typically
depends on the rates of heating and cooling during processing.
 Viscoelastic Behavior of Composites
 The viscoelastic behavior of composite materials is typically more
significant for composites having one or more polymeric
constituents.
 Viscoelastic effects in polymer matrix composites are most
pronounced in matrix-dominated response to off-axis or shear
loading.
 Viscoelastic deformations and plastic deformations are similar in
that both are driven by shear stresses.
 Indeed, elements of the theory of plasticity are often identical for
use in the theory of viscoelasticity.
 For example, it is sometimes assumed in viscoelasticity analysis that
the dilatational response to normal stresses is elastic but that the
distortional response to shear stresses is viscoelastic.
 Viscoelastic Behavior of Composites
 The viscoelastic behavior of composite materials is typically more
significant for composites having one or more polymeric
constituents.
 Viscoelastic effects in polymer matrix composites are most
pronounced in matrix-dominated response to off-axis or shear
loading.
 Viscoelastic deformations and plastic deformations are similar in
that both are driven by shear stresses.
 Indeed, elements of the theory of plasticity are often identical for
use in the theory of viscoelasticity.
 For example, it is sometimes assumed in viscoelasticity analysis that
the dilatational response to normal stresses is elastic but that the
distortional response to shear stresses is viscoelastic.
 Dynamic Loading
 Dynamic loading is usually categorized as being either impulsive or
oscillatory.
 Dynamic response consists of either a propagating wave or a
vibration, depending on the elapsed time and the relative
magnitudes of the wavelength of the response and the
characteristic structural dimension.
 Both types of excitation usually cause wave propagation initially.
 Wave propagation will continue if the response wavelength is much
shorter than the characteristic structural dimension, otherwise
standing waves (i.e., vibrations) will be set up as the waves begin to
reflect back from the boundaries.
 Wave propagation in composites may involve complex reflection
and/or refraction effects at fiber–matrix interfaces or ply interfaces.
 Dynamic Loading
 The dynamic response of composites may also be complicated by
their anisotropic behavior.

 For example, the speed of a propagating wave in an isotropic

material is independent of orientation, whereas the wave speed in
an anisotropic composite depends on the direction of propagation.

 Anisotropic coupling effects often lead to complex waves or modes

of vibration.

 For example, an isotropic beam subjected to an oscillatory bending

moment will respond in pure flexural modes of vibration, but a non-
symmetric laminate may respond in a coupled bending–twisting
mode or some other complex mode.
 Guidelines for Term Project
 The term project is an individual task of every student in case of
Literature Review but two people are allowed for simulation base
project.
 There are absolute 10 marks of “term project” towards final grading.
 Select any topic related to “Composites”
 Review at least 10 latest research papers (not older than 2010)
relevant to that topic.
 Prepare a summary of these reviewed (10 research) articles.
 Highlight the “Research Gap” as a conclusion of this review.
 The presentations will be held on 10th Jan 2024 and the report
should also be submitted before presentation
 Quiz #04
 Next week on 3rd January 2024, there would
be a Quiz from Lecture #09.

 Please be prepared.
Thank You