Material properties:

Composites, Types of Matrix and Reinforcements,

Manufacturing methods
Prem Ulhas Shirodkar BTech. Automobile Engg
Mechanical Subsystem. [email protected]
Team Solarmobil

Abstract— Report on types of composites and types of Spray-up molding is much less labor intensive than the
matrix and reinforcements hand layup method by utilizing a spray gun and a fiber
cutter. However, only short fiber reinforced composites
TYPES OF COMPOSITES
can be made. A continuous fiber is fed into the cutter and
 Matrix: sets up the part geometrically, gives chopped. The chopped fiber is sprayed upon a mold with
cohesion to the material, it is usually flexible and the stream of resin mist and catalyst delivered through
not very resistant and transmits efforts from one separate nozzles. The sprayed mixture of fiber and resin
fibre to another. soon cures on the mold at room temperature and the
 Reinforcement: provides rigidity and resistance. product is produced. Because of the spraying operation,
large and complex-shaped objects can be easily made.

Matrix Type 3) Pultrusion: Similar to extrusion of metal parts.

A. Polymer Matrix Composites Pultrusion involves pulling resinimpregnated glass
strands through a die. Standard extruded shapes can
1) Hand Lay-Up: Hand lay-up molding is the method
easily be produced such as pipes, channels, Ibeams, etc.
of laying down fabrics made of reinforcement and
painting with the matrix resin layer by layer until the
desired thickness is obtained. This is the most time and
labor consuming, composite processing method but
majority of aerospace composite products are made by
this method in combination with the autoclave method.
Due to the hand assembly involved in the lay-up
procedure, one can align long fibers with controlled
orientational quality. Another advantage of this method is

4) Filament Winding: A continuous reinforcement,

either previously impregnated or impregnated during
winding is wound around a rotating mandrel to form a
composite part.
the ability to accommodate irregular-shaped products. Impregnated fibers are rolled up on a rotary mandrel, then
Such advantages are utilized in low performance cured in an oven. Filament winding and fiber placement –
composites including fiber-glass boat and bath tub Fiber placement has greater accuracy – Fiber placement can
manufacturing. Hand lay-up is the oldest and simplest wind on less symmetrical and even partially concave
method used for producing reinforced plastic laminates.
Capital investment for the hand lay-up processes is
relatively low. The most expensive piece of equipment
typically is a spray gun for resin and gel coat application.
Some fabricators pour or brush the resin into the molds
so that a spray gun is not required for this step. There is
virtually no limit to the size of the part that can be made.
The molds can be made of wood, sheet metal, plaster,
and FRP composites.

2) Spray-Up Molding:
mandrels • Tubes, tanks, wind turbine blades and rockets. parts that require both strength and a polished appearance.
Winding process is defined with basic parameters for Overall, sheet molding is a cost-effective method for
winding, like angle type, number of cycles, cycle length, producing high-quality composite parts with complex
layers length, number of tows, etc. shapes and consistent performance.

5) Resin Transfer Molding: Resin transfer molding

is a manufacturing method that is quite similar to B. Ceramic Matrix Composites
injection molding where plastic is injected into a closed 1) Hot Press Sintering:
Hot press sintering is a manufacturing technique that
transforms powdered materials, often ceramics or metals,
into solid, high-performance products. Operating at
elevated temperatures and pressures, the process involves
loading the powdered material into a mold within a hot
press machine. As the machine heats up and applies
pressure, the particles in the powder begin to bond
together without melting completely, resulting in increased
material density and improved strength. This densification
process is driven by diffusion, which leads to the
formation of solid bonds between particles. Once sintering
is complete, the material is gradually cooled down,
solidifying its densified structure. Hot press sintering is
favored for producing robust components such as ceramics
mold. used in cutting tools, electronics, and structural parts due
In the RTM process the preform (precut piece(s) of to its ability to enhance material properties like hardness
reinforcement) is placed in the mold, the mold is closed and and wear resistance through precise control of temperature
the thermoset plastic matrix is injected into the mold, once and pressure conditions.
the matrix is cured the part is ejected.

6) Vaccum bagging: Vacuum bagging is a

manufacturing technique used to create strong and
lightweight parts, commonly seen in aerospace and high-
performance industries. It involves layering strong fibers,
like specialized cloth, in a desired shape. A special liquid
glue, called resin, is then spread over these fibers to hold
them together. The layered fibers and resin are placed
inside a specialized plastic bag that can be sealed airtight.
By attaching a machine that sucks out the air, the bag
compresses the layers, ensuring tight bonding and
eliminating air bubbles. As the air is removed, the resin
begins to harden, solidifying the structure. After allowing
sufficient time for the resin to fully harden, the plastic
bag is removed. Any excess parts are trimmed, resulting
in a neat and sturdy final product. Vacuum bagging's 2) Liquid Silicon Infiltration:
strength lies in its ability to create parts with a high
strength-to-weight ratio, making it an essential process in
crafting parts for advanced applications such as aircraft
components and high-performance sports equipment.

7) Sheet Molding:
Sheet molding, often known as Sheet Molding Compound
(SMC) molding, is a manufacturing process used to create
strong and complex composite parts. It's particularly useful
for making things like car body panels, electrical
enclosures, and appliance parts. In this process, a mixture
of strong fibers (like fiberglass) and a special resin is
combined to create a thick, dough-like material called
SMC. This SMC is then pressed into a mold that has the
desired shape. Pressure and heat are applied, causing the
SMC to take on the mold's shape and harden. The result is
a solid, durable, and precisely shaped part. The process
allows for intricate designs and a smooth surface finish.
Since SMC can be made in large sheets, it's well-suited for
 Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI) is an advanced aerospace, where lightweight materials with exceptional
manufacturing technique used to create high-performance strength and thermal resistance are essential.
ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). In this process, a
porous preform, typically composed of carbon or other
suitable materials, is infiltrated with molten silicon. The 4) Sol-Gel Processing:
objective is to transform the preform into a dense and Sol-gel processing is a method for creating ceramics,
durable composite structure by leveraging the properties of glasses, and thin films with specific properties. It involves
both the preform and the infiltrating silicon. The LSI converting a liquid "solution" of nanoparticles into a solid
process involves several steps: First, a carefully designed "gel" through chemical reactions. This process allows the
preform is created, possessing the desired shape and creation of materials with controlled structures and
porosity. Next, the preform is heated in a controlled compositions. The solution is formed by dispersing
atmosphere to prevent oxidation. As the preform reaches a precursors in a solvent, which then undergo hydrolysis and
condensation to create a colloidal suspension. After aging,
certain temperature, molten silicon is introduced, allowing
the sol turns into a gel, and further processing can produce
it to infiltrate the porous structure by capillary action and
aerogels (porous) or xerogels (dense). These materials are
gravity.
often used in advanced applications like optics, electronics,
and coatings due to their tailored properties and precise
During infiltration, silicon reacts with carbon from microstructures.
the preform to form silicon carbide (SiC), a high-strength
ceramic material. The silicon carbide accumulates within
the preform's pores and coats its surfaces, filling gaps and
forming bonds with the existing material. This reaction is
aided by the temperature and the pressure difference
between the molten silicon and the preform.
Once infiltration is complete, the composite is
cooled and solidified, resulting in a final structure where
the silicon carbide acts as the ceramic matrix, reinforced
by the original preform material. The resulting composite
displays excellent properties, such as high mechanical
strength, thermal stability, and resistance to oxidation.

3) Chemical Vapour Phase Infiltration:

Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI) is a sophisticated
manufacturing process used to create high-performance
composite materials, particularly ceramic matrix composites
(CMCs). In CVI, a controlled chemical reaction is harnessed
to deposit ceramic materials onto a porous preform,
gradually transforming it into a solid and dense composite
structure. The process begins with a carefully designed
preform composed of ceramic fibers or other reinforcing
materials. This preform is placed within a reactor chamber
where it is exposed to a mixture of precursor gases that
contain the elements required for ceramic formation. C. Metal Matrix Composites
Through a series of chemical reactions, the precursor gases a) Solid State Methods
break down at the surface of the preform, releasing atoms 1)Foil Diffusion Bonding
that combine to form solid ceramic material. These newly Foil diffusion bonding is when the manufacturer takes
formed ceramic layers accumulate on the preform's surfaces, copious layers of some metal foil and then sandwiches long
gradually filling in the pores and gaps between fibers. The fibers from another material between each layer.
process continues as the preform is repeatedly exposed to
precursor gases, allowing the composite to build up layer by
layer. CVI offers precise control over the composition,
structure, and properties of the resulting composite material.
This method is particularly useful in industries like
 Squeeze casting is a process where molten metal is injected
into a form with reinforcing fibers pre-placed inside of it.

b) Liquid State Methods

1) Stir Casting
Stir casting is a method where a discontinuous D. Carbon – Carbon Composites
reinforcement is stirred into molten metal and it creates a
composite when it solidifies. a) Thermal Gradient CVI

 In order to reduce the processing times, the thermal

gradient and pressure gradient CVI processes have
been developed
 The thermal gradient VI is normally performed as a
cold wall CVI process.
2) Pressure Infiltration  This process is more suitable to produce large C/C
Pressure infiltration is where a molten metal is infiltrated or composite parts, such as rocket nozzles.
impregnated into the reinforcement through a technique  The fiber preform is placed around a graphite
involving pressure (typically in the form of gas). mandrel, which is inductively heated.
 The outer surface is exposed to a cooler
environment because of the proximity to the water-
cooled conduction coils.

3) Squeeze Casting
 b) Pressure Gradient CVI  The Particulate should be harder and stiffer than
matrix phase
 The matrix transfer some stress to the particulate,
which bears the major portion of the applied load
 Particles can have quite a variety of geometries, but
they should be of approximately the same
dimension in all direction.
 Particle size is large and present in large
concentration. Ex: concrete where the aggregates
( sand and gravel) are the particles and cement is
the matrix.

b) Dispersion strengthened
 A C-fiber preform (often carbon felt) is placed in
an isothermally heated furnace with an outer
graphite tool, which only leaves a small gap for the
forced gas flow of the precursor gas.
 A pressure difference that forces the gas flow
through the pores is created across the wall of the
 Strengthening materials which are very small and
structure
hard (usually less than 0.1 µm) are uniformly
 This process is also limited to the production of dispersed within the matrix phase
single, simple shaped component at a time.
 The matrix bears the major portion of an applied
 Hence, this method may not be suitable for the load and the small dispersed particles hinder the
commercial production of C/C composite parts in motion of dislocations.
large numbers
 Thus material deformation is restricted and
hardness and strength increases
c) Chemical Vapour Deposition  Particle size is small and present in small
concentration.
 The dispersed phase may be metallic or
nonmetallic materials
 Example: thoria (ThO2 ) dispersed Ni-alloys.

B. Fibre Reinforced
 Dispersed phase : fiber (long length to diameter
ratio)
 Matrix phase: metal, polymer or ceramic.
 The primary functions of the matrix are to Transfer
stresses between the reinforcing fibers (hold fibers
 Preparation of C/C fiber pre-form of desired shape together).
and structure
 To protect the fibers from mechanical and/or
 Densification of the composite by CVD technique environmental damages.
 Infiltration from pressurized hydrocarbon gases
(Methane/Propane) at 990-1210°C Fibre phase: On the basis of diameter and character, fibres
 Gas is pyrolyzed from deposition on fibre surface are grouped into three different classifications as
 Process duration depends on thickness of pre-form
 Heat treatment increases Modulus of Elasticity and a) Whiskers
Strength
 This process gives higher strength and
modulus of elasticity

Reinforcement Type:
A) Particle Reinforced
a) Large particle:

 Thin single crystals that have large length to

diameter ratios (lower than fiber)
 Posses high strength due to its small size that have
extremely high degree of Crystallinity
 They are very expensive and difficult to incorporate
into matrix.
Ex: graphite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride. Silicon carbide b) Sandwich panels
whiskers
 Consists of two strong outer sheets, or faces
b) Fibres separated by a layer of less dense material or core
which has lower stiffness and lower strength
 Faces or skin: Laminates of glass or carbon fiber-
reinforced thermoplastics or mainly thermoset
polymers
 Core: Polymeric foams like PVC, Polyurethane,
PE, PS and synthetic rubber
REFERENCES
[1] Chemistry merged.pdf
 They are either polycrystalline or amorphous and [2] https://www.slideshare.net/sandeepdahiyasaini1/carbon-carbon-
composite
have small diameters (ex: like glass, ceramic) High
[3] https://youtu.be/v-bEXGIjyPQ?si=u1iye1YcrUNQ7z2f
length to diameter ratio
[4] https://youtu.be/a2t-pTO_eWs?si=KTaAbGs2BmZrbCgd
 The stiff reinforcing fibres are responsible for
[5] https://youtu.be/WEMSf4O3MC8?si=5xYYzj80Mj8nK9yC
carrying load and ductility, toughened Glass fiber
and glass fiber mat carbon fiber mat

c) Wires

 Fine wires have relatively large diameters.

 Typical material include steel, molybdenum,
tungsten.
 The strength of fiber-reinforced composite depends
on fiber orientation and its concentration
 Ex: wire mesh

C. Structural composites
 It is composed of composite and homogenous
materials.
 The properties depend on properties of constituent
materials and on the geometrical design of various
structural elements.
a) Laminar composites:

 It is made of two dimensional sheets or panels that

have a preferred high strength direction
 Layers are stacked and subsequently cemented
together such that the orientation of high strength
direction varies with each successive layer.
 Ex: Ply wood