MSE-5309

FUNDAMENTALS OF
COMPOSITE & SMART
MATERIALS

Adama Science and Technology University,

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Materials Science and Engineering Program
 Credits = 3
• Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Materials
Science and Engineering
• Textbook : “ Composite materials science and
Engineering”, 2nd Ed., Krishan K. Chawala,
Springer science New York (1998)
• “ Smart materials”, Mel Schwartz, CRC press
(2008)
 Other Reference List: will be available at the
end of each chapter
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Materials Science and Engineering Program
 Marks Distribution

Method No Percentage
Quiz 2 or 1 10%
Test 1 10 %
Assessments Assignment 1 10%
Midterm Exam(s) 1 20%
Attendance and class act. - 10%
Final Examination 1 40%

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Materials Science and Engineering Program
Fundamentals of Composite & Smart
Materials
MSE - 5309
I-Semester , 2023/24
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Materials Science and Engineering Program
 WHY STUDY Composites?

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 Opening Questions
Why study composites? Design fluidity

Structural specificity Fiberglass

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Definition of Composite Materials
• A composite is made by a combination of two or more materials with
different physical and chemical properties.

Example:
• fiberglass
• Concrete reinforced with steel
• Epoxy reinforced with graphite fibers.
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Materials Science and Engineering
Components of Composites

Reinforcement Matrix Composite

Provides strength holds & protects the creates a material

and stiffness fiber and transfers attributes superior to
load b/n the fibers either component alone

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Materials Science and Engineering
Cont’d . . .
• Nearly all composite materials consist of two phases:
• Primary phase (matrix) – forms the matrix within which the
secondary phase is imbedded or surrounds other phase.
 The matrix may be Polymers, Metals, Ceramics, also, continuous
phase.
• Secondary phase (reinforcement) – imbedded phase or a
reinforcing agent, b/c it usually serves to strengthen the composite
• The reinforcing phase may be in the form of fibers, particles, flakes
also, dispersed phase, discontinuous phase or fillers.

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Materials Science and Engineering Program
Functions of Constituents of a Composite
Function of the fiber Function of the Matrix
• Provides strength and stiffness • Holds the fiber together
• Distributes the loads evenly b/n
• Transfer the strength to matrix
fibers
• Load carrying • Protect the fiber from
• Contribute desired properties environment & mechanical
damage
• Properties of the composites
• Enhance transverse properties
are controlled by properties of
of a laminate
the filler
• Improves impact and fracture
• Act as reinforcement in fiber resistance of a component
reinforcement composites • Provides better finish to final
product
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Classification of Composites - I
• Based on the origin (occurrence) from which the composite
materials are made:
i) Natural Composites – composite materials that occur in
nature or produced by civilizations for many years.

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Classification of Composites - II
Based on the type of matrix form:

Figure : Classification of composite on the basis of the type of the matrix materials
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Classification of Composites - III
Based on the type of the reinforcement form:

Figure: Classification of composite on the basis of the type of the reinforcement materials
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Classification of Composites - III

Figure: Classification of composite on the basis of the type of the reinforcement materials
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Materials Science and Engineering
Classification: Fiber-Reinforced Composites (i)

Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural

Fibers are the important class of reinforcements to transfer
strength to the matrix influencing and enhancing their properties.

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Materials Science and Engineering
Continuous vs. Discontinuous Fibers
• Continuous fibers – very long; in theory, they offer a continuous
path by which a load can be carried by the composite part.
 They have high aspect ratio (length /diameter (l / d)).
• Discontinuous fibers (chopped sections of continuous fibers) –
short lengths (L/D = roughly 100)
 Whiskers are discontinuous fibers and hair-like single crystals
with diameters down to about 0.001 mm with very high strength.
Classification of Fibers – based on the source
Synthetic Fibers Natural Fibers
• Rayon Silk
• Nylon Cotton
• Acetate Wool

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Materials Science and Engineering
 Materials for Fibers
• Fiber materials in fiber-reinforced composites:
• Glass – most widely used filament
• Carbon – high elastic modulus
• Boron - very high elastic modulus
• Polymers – Kelvar
• Ceramics – SiC and Al2O3
• Metals – steel
• The most important commercial use of fibers is in polymer
composites.

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Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanics of fiber Reinforced Composites
Composite Stiffness: Longitudinal Loading
• Continuous fibers – estimate fiber-reinforced composite
modulus of elasticity for continuous fibers
• Longitudinal deformation

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Materials Science and Engineering
Example - 1
i) Calculate the tensile modulus of elasticity of a unidirectional
carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic composite material that contains
64 percent by volume of carbon fibers and is stressed under
isostrain conditions. The carbon fibers have a tensile modulus
of elasticity of 54.0 × 106 psi and the epoxy matrix a tensile
modulus of elasticity of 0.530 × 106 psi.
ii) Exercise 1: Calculate also the elastic modulus of the above
composite material by assuming that the stress is applied
perpendicular to the direction of fiber alignment.
Solution:
Em = 0.530 × 106 psi and Ef = 54.0 × 106 psi
Vf = 0.64 and Vm = 0.36
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Materials Science and Engineering
Cont’d . . .
• Critical fiber length for effective stiffening & strengthening:

• Ex: For fiberglass, common fiber length > 15 mm needed

• For longer fibers, stress transference from matrix is more
efficient

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Composite Stiffness: Transverse Loading
• In transverse loading the fibers carry less of the load
• and

Exercise 2: Show the

Proof !

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Classification: Particle-Reinforced (i)
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
Types of particle-reinforced
i) Large-particle : particle-matrix interactions cannot be treated on
the atomic or molecular level.
• Particles should be evenly distributed throughout the matrix.
• Resist localised deformations: Particles tend to restrain movement
of the matrix phase in the vicinity of each particle.

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Materials Science and Engineering
Composite Stiffness: Short fibers
• Estimate of Ecd for discontinuous fibers:
• Elastic modulus in fiber direction:
Exercise 3: For an aligned short fiber of
its elastic modulus, Ecd , when K = 0 , what
does its physical meaning imply?

-- aligned: K = 1 (aligned parallel)

-- aligned: K = 0 (aligned perpendicular)
-- random: K = 3/8 (2D isotropy)
-- random 3D: K = 1/5 (3D isotropy)

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Materials Science and Engineering
Classification: Particle-Reinforced (ii)
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
ii) Dispersion-strengthened:
• Small particles (10 - 100 nm)
• Matrix bears most of the applied load
• Particles impede motion of dislocations
• Plastic deformation is restricted
• Improves yield and tensile strength

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Materials Science and Engineering
 Classification: Particle-Reinforced (iii)
Large-Particle vs. Dispersion-Strengthened Composites
Shear t
Large-Particle

Strong Particle Dislocation shears through

>500 nm the dispersion
Dispersion Strengthened
Stress field of
dispersion

Strong Particle
<100 nm Dislocation stopped
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Materials Science and Engineering
Classification: Particle-Reinforced (iv)
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Examples:
- Spheroidite matrix: particles: Adapted from Fig.

steel ferrite (a) cementite 10.19, Callister &

Rethwisch 8e. (Fig.
(ductile) (Fe C ) 10.19 is copyright
3 United States Steel
(brittle) Corporation, 1971.)
60 mm
Adapted from Fig. 16.4,
- WC/Co matrix: particles: Callister & Rethwisch
cemented cobalt WC 8e. (Fig. 16.4 is courtesy
Carboloy Systems,
(ductile, (brittle,
carbide tough)
: hard)
Department, General
Electric Company.)

600 mm
Adapted from Fig. 16.5,
Callister & Rethwisch
- Automobile matrix: particles: 8e. (Fig. 16.5 is courtesy
tire rubber rubber carbon Goodyear Tire and
(compliant) black
Rubber Company.)

(stiff)
0.75 mm
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Materials Science and Engineering
Classification: Particle-Reinforced (v)
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Elastic modulus, Ec, of composites:
-- two “rule of mixture” extremes:
upper limit: Ec = Vm Em + Vp Ep
E(GPa)
Data: 350
lower limit: Adapted from Fig. 16.3,
Cu matrix 30 0 Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
w/tungsten 250 1 Vm Vp (Fig. 16.3 is from R.H.
= + Krock, ASTM Proc, Vol.
particles 20 0 Ec E m E p 63, 1963.)

150

0 20 4 0 60 80 10 0 vol% tungsten
(Cu) (W)
• Application to other properties:
-- Electrical conductivity, e: Replace E’s in equations with se’s.
-- Thermal conductivity, k: Replace E’s in equations with k’s.
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Materials Science and Engineering
Structural Composite
Laminates:
• Stacked and bonded fiber-reinforced sheets
• Stacking sequence: E.g: 00 / 900
• Benefit: balanced in-plane stiffness
Sandwich panels:
• Honeycomb core between two facing sheets
• Benefits: low density, large bending stiffness

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Materials Science and Engineering
Properties of Composite Materials
• The mechanical properties of composite materials have better:
 strength-weight ratio
 stiffness-weight ratio
 fatigue properties and
 creep resistance & strength than most of the common engineering
metals like steel or aluminum.
• Composites have low thermal expansion and electrical conductivity
giving rise to good dumping properties and good fatigue resistance.
• Composite products are known to have excellent heat sink
properties.

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Materials Science and Engineering
Cont’d . . .
• With improved corrosion resistance and a high resistance to
impact damage, the composites have indefinite shelf life just like
metals.
• In selecting a composite material, an optimum combination of
properties is usually sought rather than one particular property.
• Example: fuselage and wings of an aircraft must be lightweight
and be strong, stiff, and tough.
• Adding significant amounts of carbon black to natural rubber
increases its strength dramatically.
• Example: natural rubber alone is relatively weak

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Materials Science and Engineering
Cont’d . . .
• Properties of composites are determined by three factor :
1. The materials used as component phases in the composite.
2. The geometric shapes of the constituents and resulting
structure of the composite system.
3. The manner in which the phases interact with another.
Other Factors affecting properties of composites
The type, distribution, size, shape, orientation and arrangement of
the reinforcement will affect the properties of the composite
materials and its anisotropy.

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Materials Science and Engineering
Cont’d . . .

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Materials Science and Engineering Program
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Materials Science and Engineering Program
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Materials Science and Engineering Program
Summary
• We shall call a material that satisfies the following conditions a
composite material:
1. It is manufactured (i.e., naturally occurring composites, such as
wood, are excluded).
2. It consists of two or more physically and/or chemically distinct,
suitably arranged or distributed phases with an interface separating
them.
3. It has characteristics that are not depicted by any of the
components in isolation.
• Particulate-reinforced:
-- Types: large-particle and dispersion-strengthened
-- Properties are isotropic
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Materials Science and Engineering Program
Cont’d . . .
• Fiber-reinforced:
--Types: continuous (aligned) discontinuous (aligned or random)
-- Properties can be isotropic or anisotropic
• Structural:
-- Laminates and sandwich panels

face sheet
adhesive layer
honeycomb

Adapted from Fig. 16.18,

Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
(Fig. 16.18 is from Engineered Materials
Handbook, Vol. 1, Composites, ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1987.)

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Cont’d . . .
• Composites types are designated by:
-- the matrix material (CMC, MMC, PMC)
-- the reinforcement (particles, fibers, structural)
• Composite property benefits:
-- MMC: enhanced E, σ*, creep performance
-- CMC: enhanced KIc
-- PMC: enhanced E, σy, TS

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Materials Science and Engineering Program
References
• Chawla KK (1998) Fibrous materials. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge
• Chawla KK (Feb., 2005) J Miner, Metals Mater Soc 57:46
• Deutsch S (May, 1978). 23rd National SAMPE Symposium, p 34
• Elices M (ed) (2000) Structural biological materials. Pergamon
Press, Amsterdam
• Schier JF, Juergens RJ (Sept., 1983) Astronautics Aeronautics
21:44
• Wainwright SA, Biggs WD, Currey JD, Gosline JM (1982)
Mechanical design in organisms. Princeton University Press,
Princeton, NJ
• Weiner S, Wagner HD (1998) Annu Rev Mater 28:271
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 Questions ???

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