CHARACTERIZATION OF ULTRA HIGH MOLECULAR

WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITE PLATE FOR

ARMOR

A PROJECT REPORT

Submitted by

JOSHVA ROBERT JOHN D (950817114711)

RAJESHWARAN S (950817114712)

JEYARAM S (950817114048)

GOWTHAM N (950817114040)

In partial fulfilment for the award of the degree

Of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

IN

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

TIRUNELVELI – 627007

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600025

APRIL 2021
 ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600025

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project report “CHARACTERIZATION OF ULTRA

HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITE
PLATE FOR ARMOR” is the bonafide work of

JOSHVA ROBERT JOHN D (950817114711)

RAJESHWARAN S (950817114712)

JEYARAM S (950817114048)

GOWTHAM N (950817114040)

Who carried out the project work under my supervision.

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
Dr.S.SUPRIYA, M.E.,Ph.D., Dr.S.ANANTHA KUMAR.,M.E.,Ph.D.,
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
PROFESSOR (CAS), ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Government College of Engineering, Government College of Engineering,
Tirunelveli – 627 007 Tirunelveli – 627 007
 CERTIFICATE OF EVALUATION
College code/ Name : 9508 –Government College of Engg, Tirunelveli-7.

Branch/ Semester : Mechanical engineering/ VIII Semester.

Subject Code/ Name : ME8811 – Project Work.

Name of the Name of the

S.No Students Title of the Project Supervisor with
Designation
1. JOSHVA ROBERT
JOHN D
(950817114711) CHARACTERIZATI DR.S. ANANTHA KUMAR.,
ON OF ULTRA HIGH M.E., Ph.D.,
2. RAJESHWARAN S
MOLECULAR Assistant Professor,
(950817114712)
WEIGHT Department of Mechanical
3. JEYARAM S POLYETHYLENE Engineering,Govt. College of
(950817114048) COMPOSITE PLATE Engineering,
FOR ARMOR Tirunelveli - 627007.

4. GOWTHAM N
(950817114040)

The report of the project work done by the above students in partial fulfilment for
the award of Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering given
by Anna University, Chennai was confirmed to be a complete report of the work
done by the above students and was evaluated.
Submitted for the project viva-voice held on 03/08/2021

INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Our first and foremost thanks to the almighty for presenting this opportunity to
complete this project. We also wish to express our sincere thanks to our beloved
college principal Dr. P. LATHA, M.E., Ph.D, for her kind patronage and suggestion
with valuable ideas and encouragement throughout this work.

With great pride and pleasure we express our deep sense of gratitude and
profound thanks to Dr. S. SUPRIYA, M.E., Ph.D, Professor, (CAS) and Head of the
Department, Mechanical Engineering, Government College of Engineering, for
encouraging us.

We have pleasure in expressing our sincere and heartfelt thanks to our guide
Dr.S. ANANTHA KUMAR, M.E., Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Department of
Mechanical Engineering for his valuable guidance, suggestions, advice and all his
supporting activities which has resulted in the successful completion of the project.

We are indebted to our faculty adviser Dr. A. KRISHNAVENI, M.E.,

Ph.D.,Professor(CAS), for her profound and valuable insights and commentson our
project.

We express our sincere thanks to all the faculty & staff members of the
Department of Mechanical Engineering for helping and guiding us to complete this
project with great success.

We also express our sincere thanks to our parents who have sacrificed greatly
in our education and welfare. We thank all those who have helped directly and
indirectly in this doing project and bringing out this successful report.
 ABSTRACT

The use of composite material in engineering field is increased day by day.

Composite are made from bonding two materials, where the reinforcement
contributes with the outstanding natural properties and the matrix supports the
fibres by transferring the loads between them, besides protecting the fibre from
the environment hazards. Composite materials are largely replacing conventional
metals now a day due to their mechanical behaviors. Among all composite
materials UHMWPE reinforced composites are of greater interest due to their
high strength.In this project work it is going to be analyzed how the composite
made from UHMWPE and epoxy resin matrix behaves in specific situations. To
fabricate a composite plate using UHMWPE & characterize its properties.

The mechanical behavior of unidirectional UHMWPE fiber composite is

an interesting topic. It is an unusual material composed by basically fiber and
glue. The material has a simple makeup but complex behavior. This needs to be
studied in order to understand and calculate the mechanical properties.
Throughout the project material behavior has been investigated with tensile test,
3-point bending test & Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Analysis. Then the
properties are characterized and presented.

i
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER NO TITLE PAGE

NO

ABSTRACT i

LIST OF FIGURES iv

LIST OF TABLE vi

LIST OF SYMBOLS vii

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 COMPOSITE MATERIALS 1

1.2 CLASSIFICATION OF
COMPOSITE 2

1.2.1 POLYMER MATRIX

COMPOSITE 3

1.2.2 METAL MATRIX

COMPOSITE 3

1.2.3 FIBER REINFORCED 4

COMPOSITE

1.3 FIBERS 5

1.3.1 NATURAL FIBERS 5

1.3.2 SYNTHETIC FIBERS 5

1.4 UHMWPE 6

ii
 1.4.1 STRUCTURE AND 7
PROPERTIES

1.5 MATRIX 7

1.5.1 HARDENER 8
1.5.2 THERMOSET MATRIX 8
1.5.3 PROPERTY OF MATRIX 9
1.6 HANDLAYOUT METHOD 9

1.7 TESTING & INSPECTION 10

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 11

3 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION 13
3.1 METHODOLOGY 14
3.2 DESIGN CALCULATION 15

4 FABRICATION OF COMPOSITE
4.1 RAW MATERIAL OF
COMPOSITE PLATE 19
4.2 COMPRESSION MOULDING 24

5 TESTING OF SPECIMEN 27
5.1 MECHANICAL TESTING 27
5.2 TENSILE TEST 27
5.3 IMPACT TEST 31
5.4 HARDNESS TEST 35

6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 40

7 COMPARISION 41
8 CONCLUSION 42
9 REFERENCES 43

iii
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO DESCRIPTION PAGE

NO

1.2 TYPES OF COMPOSITES 2

1.2.1 POLYMER MATRIX

COMPOSITES 3

1.5.1 HARDENER 8

1.6 HANDLAYUP METHOD 9

3.1 METHODOLOGY 14

4.1 WAX 19

4.2 UHMWPE 21

4.3 RESIN 22

4.4 DIE 24

4.5 COMPRESSION MOULDING 25

4.6 COMPRESSION MOULDING

MACHINE 25

4.7 FABRICATED SPECIMEN 26

iv
5.1 UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE 28

5.2 TEST SPECIMEN IN UTM 29

5.3 ASTM STANDARD D638 30

5.4 IMPACT TEST 31

5.5 IMPACT TEST SPECIMEN 33

5.6 SPECIMEN HOLDING FIXTURE 34

5.7 SPECIMEN FOR VICKER

HARDNESS TEST 36

5.8 VICKER HARDNESS TEST 37

5.9 IDENTATION DEGREE 38

5.10 HARDNESS VALUE OF UHMWPE 39

v
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO DESCRIPTION PAGE NO

1 PROPERTIES OF EPOXY 23
RESIN

2 TENSILE TEST FOR SPECIMEN 31

3 IMPACT TEST FOR SPECIMEN 34

4 HARDNESS TEST FOR SPECIMEN 36

5 RESULTS 40

6 COMPARISION WITH OTHER

MATERIALS 41

vi
LIST OF SYMBOLS

vii
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The economic and efficient exploitation of composite materials in critical
load bearing applications relies on the ability to predict safe operational lives without
excessive conservatism. Developing life prediction and monitoring techniques in
these complex, inhomogeneous materials requires an under- standingof the various
failure mechanisms which can take place. Innovative materials such composite
materials may possess good characteristics in terms of fracture toughness and low
weight. These materials are used in various applications such aswind turbine blades,
naval, aircraft and aerospace industries. However, composites materials have more
complex failure mechanism then traditional metals alloys. Common issues rise from
Matrix deformation, fiber fracture, interfacial de- bonding and crack deflection.
Extensively studies in literature by means of numerical analysis and experimental
methods are done. The current trend of the research on the behavior of composites
materials and will present same suggestion for future development. The material
used in vehicle parts could significantly affect the vehicle efficiency.
1.1 COMPOSITE MATERIAL
A composite is a structural material that consists of two or more combined
constituents that are combined at a macroscopic level and are not soluble in each
other. One constituent is called the reinforcing phase and the one in which it is
embedded is called the matrix. The reinforcing phase material may be in the form of
fibers, particles, or flakes. The matrix phase materials are generally continuous.
Examples of composite systems include concrete reinforced with steel and epoxy
reinforced with graphite fibers, etc.
Their properties are not good as compared to composites. Because the
individual properties are low when compared to their combination.

1
  High toughness , high stiffness to density ratio.
 Improved hardness with corrosion resistance and erosion resistance.
 Composites with high toughness can have impact energies significantly
higher than metal alloy.
 High strength at high temperatures.

1.2 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPOSITES

The first level of classification is usually made with respect to the matrix
constituent. The major composite classes include Organic Matrix Composites
(OMCs), Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) and Ceramic Matrix Composites
(CMCs). The term is matrix composite is generally assumed to include two classes
of composites, namely Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs) and carbon matrix
composites commonly referred to as carbon-carbon composites. Thesecond level of
classification refers to the reinforcement form - fibre reinforced composites, laminar
composites and particulate composites. Fibre reinforced composites can be further
divided into those containing discontinuous or continuous fibres. Based on the types
of reinforcement used, the composites are classified asPolymer Matrix Composites.

FIGURE 1.2 TYPES OF COMPOSITES

2
  Metal Matrix Composites
 Fibre Reinforced Composites

1.2.1 Polymer Matrix Composites

The most common advanced composites are polymer matrix
composites (PMCs) consisting of a polymer (e.g., epoxy, polyester, urethane)
reinforced by thin diameter fibers (e.g., graphite, aramids, boron) due to their low
cost, high strength, and simple manufacturing principles. For example, graphite/
epoxy composites are approximately five times stronger than steel on a weight basis.
Figure 1.1 illustrates the formation of polymer matrix composite.

FIGURE 1.2.1 POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES

1.2.2 Metal Matrix Composites

Metal matrix composites (MMCs), as the name implies, have a
metal matrix. Examples of matrices in such composites include aluminium,
magnesium, and titanium. Typical fibers include carbon and silicon carbide. Metals
are mainly reinforced to increase or decrease their properties to suit the needs of

3
design. For example, the elastic stiffness and strength of metals can be increased,
and large coefficients of thermal expansion and thermal and electric conductivities
of metals can be reduced, by the addition of fibers such as silicon carbide.

1.2.3 Fiber Reinforced Composites

Fiber Reinforced Composites contain reinforcements having lengths higher than
cross sectional dimension. Fibrous reinforcement represents physical rather than a
chemical means of changing a material to suit various engineering applications.
Reinforcing fiber in a single layer composite may be short or long based on its
overall dimensions. Composites with long fibers are called continuous fiber
reinforcement and composite in which short or staple fibers are embedded in the
matrix are termed as discontinuous fiber reinforcement (short fiber composites)
enhanced strength properties. In short fiber composites, the length of short fiber is
neither too high to allow individual fibers to entangle with each other nor too small
for the fibers to loss their fibrous nature. Basically, the properties of FRP reinforced
composites depend on the properties of its components, their volume ratio, the
orientation of the fibres in the matrix and properties of the fibre-matrix bond.
Generally, all composite materials have certain common properties whichare the
result of their composite nature and the presence of reinforcement.

These properties are: anisotropy (depending on the type of reinforcement), low

density, physical and mechanical properties of composite depending on its
components and their respective proportions, high resistance to corrosion and
oxidation, relatively high mechanical properties and ability to form complex shapes.
Figure 1.2 shows the composition of fiber reinforced composites. The properties of
FRP composites may be improved by combining two or more different types of
fibres. An example is a material composed of glass and carbon

4
fibres, which has a tensile strength, high resistance to impact (a quality that CFRP
does not have when of combined with glass fibres), can be produced at low cost.

1.3 FIBERS
Fiber is defined as any single unit of matter characterized by flexibility,
fineness and high aspect ratio. It is a slender filament that is longer than 100μm or
the aspect ratio greater than 10. Fibers have a fine hair like structure and they are
of animal, vegetable, mineral or synthetic origin. Fibres are broadly classified into
types as
Natural fiber
Synthetic fiber

1.3.1 Natural Fibers

The reinforcement of elastomers using cellulose fiber was studied by
different authors. Jute and silk fibers were also added to different rubber matrices
for the preparation of short fiber rubber composites coir, coconut and pineapple
leaf fibers were also used to reinforce various elastomeric. Extensive research has
been done on the reinforcement of elastomers using natural fibers.

1.3.2 Synthetic Fiber

Glass fiber is the best known reinforcement in high performance composite
applications due to its appealing combination of good properties andlow cost.
Carbon fibers are commercially manufactured from three different precursors rayon,
polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and petroleum pitch. They are mainly used in aerospace
industry due to its outstanding mechanical properties combined with low weight.
Aramid is a generic term for aromatic polyamide fibers. The first commercial p-
aramid fiber was introduced in 1971. Nylons are aliphatic

5
polyamides, which was the first synthetic fiber to be commercialized. Nylons are
derived from a diamine and a dicarboxylic acid. The most common versions are
Nylon 66 and Nylon 6. In view of their superior heat stability, carbon fibres can be
used for reinforcing ceramics, metals, and plastics, giving engineers and
technologists a completely new range of materials. The bulk of carbon fibres were
made by heating polyacrylonitrile in air at 200°C - 250°C followed by heating in an
inert atmosphere at 1200°C that removes hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, leaving a
chain of carbon atoms and thus forming carbon fibres.

1.4 Ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene
Ultra–high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a subset of the
thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus-polythlene (HMPE) , it
has extremely long chains , with a molecular mass usually between 3.5 and 7.5
million amu. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer
backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a very tough
material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made.
UHMWPE is odourless, tasteless, and non-toxic. It embodies all the
characteristics of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with the added traits of being
resistant to concentrated acids and alkalis , as well as numerous organic solvents. It
is highly resistant to corrosive chemicals except oxidizing acids; has extremely low
moisture absorption and a very low coefficient of friction; is self-lubricating and is
highly resistant to abrasion; in some forms being 15 times more resistant to abrastion
than carbon steel. Its coefficient of friction is significantly lower than that of nylon
and acetal and is comparable to that of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE, Teflon), but
UHMWPE has better abrasion resistance than PTFE.

6
1.4.1 Structure and properties

(𝐶𝐻2 − 𝐶𝐻2)𝑛
(structure of UHMWPE, with n greater than 100,000)
Properties that have made UHMWPE so popular in polymer and other reinforced
composite include.

1.5 MATRIX

Polymer, metals, ceramics and carbon are all used as matrix materials in
composites depending on the particular requirement since each type of matrix has
its own unique properties. The matrix, in the continuous form, typically presents
greater quantity in the composite. Unlike the reinforcing phase, the matrix phases
are generally continuous with the less stiff and weaker phase. Generally, it functions
to hold the fibers in a composite and to protect the fibers from external damage,
transfer, and distributes the applied loads to the fibers.
Matrix material is a polymer composed of molecules made of many simpler
and the units called monomer. The matrix must have a lower modulus than those of
fibres, so that fibres can carry maximum load. Important functions of matrixmaterial
in FRP composite include:
1. Binding the fibres together and fixing them in the desired geometrical
arrangement.
2. Transferring the load to the fibres by adhesion and/or friction.
3. Provide rigidity and shape to the structural member.
4. Isolate the fibres so that they can act separately, resulting in slow or no crack
propagation.
5. Provide protection to the fibres against chemical and mechanical damages.

7
6. Influence performance characteristics such as ductility, impact strength.
7. Provide final colour and surface finish for connections.
8. Type of matrix material and its compatibility with the fibres also significantly
affect the failure mode of the structure.

1.5.1 Hardener
Hardener is high viscous liquid material, mixed with resin in suitable
proportion during the process of preparation of composites which helps in the
solidification of the wet, smooth composite. It is used to harden the smooth
composite hence it is called as hardener. In this project a suitable grade of hardener
is used to mix with epoxy resin in 1:2 proportions in the process of manufacturing
of composite.

FIGURE 1.5.1 HARDENER

1.5.2 Thermoset Matrix

Thermoset plastic can be classified into five categories. They are
 Polyester resin
 Epoxy resin
 Vinyl ester resin
 Phenolic resin
 High performance resin

8
In this work Epoxy resin grade AW106 is used as the polymer matrix. The
chemical structure of Epoxide group .

1.5.3 Properties of Matrix

 Excellent adhesion to many different materials.
 Great strength, toughness and resilience.
 Excellent resistance to chemical attack and to moisture.
 Outstanding electrical insulating properties.
 Absence of volatiles on curing.
 Negligible shrinkage.

1.6 HAND LAYUP METHOD

Hand lay-up or wet lay-up process is one of the oldest composite
manufacturing technologies. It is labour intensive method, in which liquid resin is
applied to the mould and fibre reinforcement is placed manually on top .

FIGURE 1.6 HAND LAYUP METHOD

9
1.7 TESTING AND INSPECTION
A component is to be checked clearly about its properties and other things before it
is employed for the work. Some of the most commonly performed tests are

 Tensile test
 Impact test
 Flexural test
 Hardness test

Inspection is done on the size shape tolerances and the total number of defects.
After all this if the parts are qualified then it is used for the real time applications.

10
 CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
The following literatures have been reviewed to study about composite materials
and the fracture toughness of GFRP Composite laminates on the addition of nano
fillers.
Toshiki Sasayama et al (2017) have studied the breakage behavior of glass fibers
subjected to simple shear flow by modeling an individual fiber as a chain of
connected spheres and considering fiber-fiber interaction. The simulation results
show that the fiber length decreases as viscosity, shear rate, and fiber volume fraction
increases.

Abdelal et al (2018) have considered a layer of nylon nano fibers is spun directly
on the surface of the carbon fabric which is subsequently used to produce the
laminates. The effect of the nylon nano fiber layer on inter-laminar fracture
toughness of carbon fiber/epoxy composites was studied using DCB test. The results
showed major improvement in inter-laminar fracture toughness.

Balakrishnan et al (2018) have investigated the influence of tensile strength and

flexural properties of short fiber composites and concluded that the increase in
fiber volume increases the mechanical properties of the composites.

Haitao Luo, et al (2018) have investigate when nano-silica content was increased
to 4wt%, the maximum values of tensile strength and flexural strength were obtained
and improved by 86.30% and 126.98% than that of composites without nano-silica,
which were 595.69 and 703.76 MPa. The glass transition temperature was increased
at first and then decreased with the increasing content of nano-silica.

11
Songlin Liu, et al (2018) have investigated the Young’s modulus, tensile strength,
impact strength and fracture toughness of the epoxy were all improved with the
addition of a small amount of nano particles. Glass transition temperature decreases
SAXS results indicated the silica nano particles were well dispersed in the matrix. It
is also confirmed that toughening mechanisms in this epoxy/silica- rubber nano
composites were due to crazing, micro cracking and particle debonding from the
matrix.

Youhong Tang et al (2016) have found with 2 wt.% nano silica the mechanical
behaviors of epoxy was enhanced for different periods of salt water immersion. The
increment of fracture toughness due to the addition of nanosilica was able to
complement the loss due to salt water immersion,.

Josepha et al (2019) indicated significant improvement in the Mode I and Mode II

interlaminar fracture toughness values of the composites by nanoparticle addition.
The matrix modification resulted in the improvement of delamination resistance of
the composite. Nano TiO2 at 0.4 wt% addition improved the GIC value by 52%
and 0.5 wt% addition resulted in 73% improvement in the value.

12
 CHAPTER 3
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In this work, Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-polyethylene synthetic fiber
is used as a reinforcement material and epoxy resin is used as a matrix material for
fabricating fiber reinforced composites. To explore the useful properties of
UHMWPE composite material, the following tests such as tensile test, impact test,
flexural test, hardness test are going to be conduct. In this project the composite
samples were prepared by using the compression moulding process at room
temperature. The samples were subjected to the mechanical testing such as tensile,
flexural and impact loading and their strength values were observed.

This project work consists of the following phases,

 Selecting of composite material for reinforcement
 Alkali treatment of fibers
 Compression moulding process
 Tensile test, Impact test, Flexural test, hardness test
 Results discussion and table.
 Report all the details

13
3.1 METHODOLOGY

The different phases of this work are given below,

Selection of materials
Collection

Alkali treatment of natural fibers

Fiber
Treatment

Compression moulding process

Fabrication

Tensile test, Impact test, Flexural test and Hardness

test
testing of
specimen

Compare the values.

Result

FIGURE 3.1 METHODOLOGY

14
3.2 DESIGN CALCULATION

VOLUME FRACTIONS:

Consider a composite material that consists of fibres and matrix

material. The volume of the composite material is equal to the sum of the
volume of the fibers and the volume of the matrix. Therefore,

𝑣𝑐 = 𝑣𝑓 + 𝑣𝑒

where,

𝑣𝑐 - volume of composite material

𝑣𝑓 - volume of fiber

𝑣𝑚 - volume of matrix

Let the fibre volume fraction and the matrix volume fraction be fraction be
defined as

𝑉𝑓 = 𝑣𝑓/𝑣𝑐

𝑉𝑚 = 𝑣𝑚/𝑣𝑐

WEIGHT FRACTION:
One of the primary factors that determine the properties of composite
is the relative proportion of fibre and the matrix. The relative proportion can
be expressed in terms of weight or volume fractions. Weight fractions are
easier to obtain during manufacture or by an experimental method after
manufacture. Volume fractions on the other hand are more convenient for
theoretical calculations.

15
 Hence, it is desirable to determine expressions for conversion between
weight and volume fractions.

𝑊𝑓 = Weight fraction of the fiber

𝑊𝑚 = Weight fraction of the matrix

𝑤𝑓 = Weight of the fiber, in grams

𝑤𝑚 = Weight of the matrix, in grams

𝑤𝑐 = Weight of the composite, in grams

We know

The weight of the composite is

𝑤𝑐 = 𝑤𝑓 + 𝑤𝑒

The weight fraction of the composite is

16
 ANALYTICAL CALCULATION FOR FABRICATION OF
UHMWPE REINFORCED POLYMER

Length of the die (L) Breadth of = 0.3 m

the die (B) Thickness of the die = 0.126 m

(T) = 0.003 m

Volume of the composites (𝑣𝑐) = L×B×T

= 0.3×0.126×0.003

= 0.0001134 𝑚3

Density of UHMWPE (𝜌𝑐) = 0.25 g/𝑐𝑚3

Density of EPOXY (𝜌e) = 1.2 g/𝑐𝑚3

Weight or mass fraction

( Ratio of composites is 65:35 )

Weight fraction of fibers 𝑊𝑓 = 35% = 0.35

UHMWPE,

Volume of fiber, 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑐 × 0.35

= 0.00013 × 0.35

= 0.0000469 𝑚3

17
 Mass of fiber, 𝑚𝑓 = 𝑣𝑓 × 𝜌𝑐

= 0.0000469 × 0.85 × 1000 × 103

= 40 g

Epoxy resin,
Weight fraction of epoxy resin (𝑊𝑒) = 65% = 0.65

Volume of epoxy resin, (𝑣𝑒) = 𝑣𝑐 × 0.65

= 0.000108 × 0.65

= 0.0000702 𝑚3

Mass of epoxy resin, 𝑚𝑒 = 𝑣 𝑒 × 𝜌𝑒

= 0.0000702 × 1100 × 103

= 74.24 g

Total mass of the composites, 𝑚𝑐 = 𝑚𝑓 + 𝑚𝑒

=74.24 + 40

=114.24 g

18
 CHAPTER-4
FABRICATION OF COMPOSITES

This chapter describes about the fabrication of composites and the preparation of
test specimens.

4.1 RAW MATERIAL OF COMPOSITE PLATES

To enhance the flexural strength and toughness of composite laminates, the
specimens should be fabricated for the standard dimensions.
To fabricate the composite specimen following raw materials are used.
 Continuous strand UHMWPE fiber as reinforcement of the composite is
used as in Figure 4.1
 Epoxy resin (LY556) as matrix of the material is chosen as in Figure 4.2
 Hardener (HY951) is added as curing agent.

Wax is used as mould releasing agent

FIGURE 4.1 WAX

19
UHMWPE
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW) is a subset of the
thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus polyethylene, (HMPE), it
has extremely long chains, with a molecular mass usually between 3.5 and 7.5
million amu. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the
polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a
very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic
presently made.

UHMWPE is odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic. It embodies all the characteristics

of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with the added traits of being resistant to
concentrated acids and alkalis, as well as numerous organic solvents. It is highly
resistant to corrosive chemicals except oxidizing acids; has extremely low moisture
absorption and a very low coefficient of friction; is self-lubricating (see boundary
lubrication); and is highly resistant to abrasion, in some forms being 15 times more
resistant to abrasion than carbon steel.

Its coefficient of friction is significantly lower than that of nylon and acetal and is
comparable to that of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), but UHMWPE has
better abrasion resistance than PTFE.

20
 FIGURE 4.2 UHMWPE

Epoxy resin
Epoxy resins are relatively low molecular weight pre-polymers which
normally contain atleast two epoxide groups. A wide range of epoxy resins
are produced industrially. The raw materials for epoxy resins production are
today largely petroleum derived, although some plant derived sources are now
becoming commercially available (e.g. plant derived glycerolusd to make
epichlorohydrin).
Epoxy resins are polymeric materials or semi polymeric materials and such
rarelyexist as pure substances, since variable chain length results from the
polymerization reaction used to produce them. High purity grades can be
produced for certain applications, e.g. using a distillation purification process.
One downside of high purity liquid grades is their tendency to form
crystalline solids due to their highly regular structure, which then require
melting to enable processing.

21
 Epoxy is the first liquid reaction product of bisphenol-A with excess
of epichlorohydrin and this resin is known as Dilycidyl-Ether of Bisphenol-
A (DGEBA). DGEBA is used extensively in industry due to its high fluidity,
processing ease, and good physical properties of the cured of resin. Epoxy
resin having density 1.2 g/cm3 and viscosity is 11000-14000 MPa. S at 25C.

FIGURE 4.3 RESIN

In general, uncured epoxy resin have only poor mechanical, chemical,

and heat resistance properties. However, good properties are obtained by
reacting the linear epoxy resin with suitable curatives to form three
dimensional cross – linked thermoset structure. This process is commonly
referred to as curing. Curing of epoxy is an exothermic reaction and in some
cases produces sufficient heat to cause thermal degradation if not controlled.

Curing can be achieved by reacting an epoxy with itself or forming a

co-polymer with polyfunctional curatives or hardeners. In principle, a
molecule containing reactive hydrogen may react with the epoxide groups of
the epoxy resin.

22
 TABLE 1: Properties of Epoxy Resin
Properties Value

Density 1.2 g/cm3

Viscosity at 25ᴏC 12000-13000

MPa

Flexural strength 40 MPa

Heat distortion temperature 50ᴏC

(HDT)

23
Die

It is made up of aluminium which consists of male die and female die.

It produces the specimen with a cross section of 20×18 cm with an width upto
20 mm.

FIGURE 4.4 DIE

COMPOSITE FABRICATION

4.2 Compression Moulding

Compression moulding technique is the most widely used method of
manufacturing composite materials. It is used only for cross- linked polymers i.e.
thermosetting polymers. In this method, upper part of the mould is lowered and
polymer is compressed.

24
 FIGURE 4.5 COMPRESSION MOULDING

The mould is opened after the completion of cross-linking reaction. This

moulding technique flow over shorter distances, thus less frozen-in stresses. It is
cheaper and easier in moulding design.

4.6 COMPRESSION MOULDING MACHINE

25
FIGURE 4.7 FABRICATED SPECIMEN

26
 CHAPTER 5
TESTING OF SPECIMEN

MECHANICAL TESTING

TENSILE TEST
Uni-axial tensile test is known as a basic and universal engineering test
to achieve material parameters such as ultimate strength, yield strength,
% of elongation, % of area reduction and young’s modulus.

Tensile testing is also known as tension testing. It is a fundamental

material science and engineering test in which a sample is subjected to a
controlled tension until failure. Properties that are directly measured via a
tensile test are ultimate tensile measurements the following property can also
be determined young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio yield strength, strain
hardening characteristics.

Uniaxial tensile testing is the most commonly used for obtaining the
mechanical characteristics of isotropic materials. Some material use biaxial
tensile testing.

A Universal testing machine (UTM) is used to test the mechanical

properties (tension, compression etc.) of a given test specimen by exerting
tensile, compressive or transverse stresses.

The machine has been named so because of the wide range of tests it
can perform over different kind of materials. Different tests like peel test,
flexural test, tension test, bend test, friction test, spring test etc. can be
performed with the help of UTM.

27
FIGURE 5.1 UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE

28
 FIGURE 5.2 TEST SPECIMEN IN UTM

ASTM STANDARD D638

This test method covers the determination of the tensile properties of
unreinforced and reinforced plastics in the form of standard dumbbell- shaped
test specimens when tested under defined conditions of pretreatment,
temperature, humidity and testing mahine speed. This test method is
applicable for testing materials of any thickness upto 14 mm. However, for
testing specimens in the forms of thin sheeting, including film less than
1.0mm in thickness, ASTM standard D638 is the preferred test method.
Materials with a thickness greater than 14 mm.

29
FIGURE 5.3 ASTM STANDARD D638

30
 TABLE 2 : Tensile Test for Specimen

Tensile Strength ( MPa)

226

IMPACT TEST
The impact properties of a material represent its capacity to absorb and
dissipate energies under or shock loading. Energy absorbed by thespecimen
was calculated by conducting izod test.

FIGURE 5.4 IMPACT TEST

31
 Izod impact testing is an ASTM standard method of determining the
impact resistance of materials. A pivoting arm is raised to a specific height
and then released. The arm swing down hitting a notched sample, breaking
the specimen. The energy absorbed by the sample iscalculated from the arm
swing to after hitting the sample.

A notched sample is generally used to determine impact energy and

notch sensitivity. The test is similar to the charpy impact test but uses a
different arrangement of the specimen under test.

The izod impact test differs from the charpy impact test in that the
sample is held in a cantilevered beam configuration as opposed to a three point
bending configuration.

ASTM STANDARD E23

The material is cut into specimens with dimensions 75 mm × 10 mm × 3 mm
and a notch was made at the centre of the specimen at 45𝑜 angle for impact
testing as per ASTM E23 specification.

32
 FIGURE 5.5 IMPACT TEST SPECIMEN

The IZOD impact tester consists of a pendulum of known mass and

lengththat is dropped from a known height to impact a notched specimen of
the material.

For this test a notched specimen is fixed between supports. The machine
has the following specifications.

33
FIGURE 5.6 SPECIMEN HOLDING FIXTURE

TABLE 3 : Impact Test for Specimen

IMPACT STRENGTH
(MN/𝑚2)
3.14

34
 HARDNESS TEST
Hardness is defined as the resistance of a material to permanent
deformation such as indentation, wear, abrasion, scratch. Principally, the
importance of hardness testing has to do with the relationship between
hardness and other properties of material.
For example, both the hardness test and the tensile test measure the
resistance of a metal to plastic flow, and results of these test may closely parallel
each other. The hardness test is preferred because it is simple, easy, and
relatively non-destructive.

There are many hardness tests currently in use. The necessity for all
these different hardness tests is due to the need for categorizing the great range
of hardness from soft rubberto hard ceramics.

Vickers hardness test

The Vickers hardness test method consists of indenting the test material
with a diamond indenter, in the form of a right pyramid with a square bas and
angle of 136 degrees between opposite faces subjected to a load of 1 to 100
kgf. The full load is normally applied for 10 to 15 seconds.

The two diagonals of the indentation left in the surface of the material
after removal of the load are measured using a microscope and their average
calculated. The area of the sloping surface of the indentation is calculated.

The Vickers hardness is the quotient obtained by dividing the kgf load
the by the square mm area of indentation.

35
 TABLE 4 : Hardness Test for Specimen

HARDNESS VALUE

VHN
192

FIGURE 5.7 SPECIMEN FOR VICKER HARDNESS TEST

36
 FIGURE 5.8 VICKER HARDNESS TEST

VICKER HARDNESS TEST

The Vickers hardness test method consists of indenting the test material with a
diamond indenter, in the form of a right pyramid with a square base and an angle
of 136 degrees between opposite faces subjected to a load of 1 to 100 kgf. The full
load is normally applied for 10 to 15 seconds.

37
The two diagonals of the indentation left in the surface of the material after
removal of the load are measured using a microscope and their average calculated.
The area of the sloping surface of the indentation is calculated. The Vickers
hardness is the quotient obtained by dividing the kgf load by the square mm area of

indentation .

FIGURE 5.9 IDENTATION DEGREE

38
FIGURE 5.10 HARDNESS VALUE OF UHMWPE

39
 CHAPTER 6
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The following table shows the tensile, impact and hardness test result
for UHMWPE fiber reinforced polymer composite.

PROPERTIES

TENSILE ULTIMATE
226
STRENGTH LOAD
(MPa)

IMPACT
IZOD (MN/m2) 3.14
STRENGTH

HARDNESS
VICKER 192
VALUE
(VHN)

TABLE 5 : RESULTS

40
 CHAPTER 7

COMPARISION

Hardened Kevlar UHMWPE

Stainless steel (Soft-Body (Soft-Body
(Hard Body armor) armor)
armor)

Hardness(VHN) 440 137 192

Tensile
Strength 960-1160 1430 226
(MPa)

Impact Very High 1.311 3.14

Strength
(MN/m2)

Very High High Strength, High Impact

Critical Factor Strength & Lighter than strength, Lighter
Difficult to Carry Steel than Kevlar

TABLE 6 : COMPARISION WITH OTHER MATERIALS

41
 CHAPTER 8

CONCLUSION

In this project, the composite plates are fabricated in the laboratory

using COMPRESSION MOULDING technique with UHMWPE and epoxy
resin. The test specimens are fabricated as per ASTM standard D638 for
tensile test and E23 for impact test. Tensile test Impact test were conducted
and its corresponding breaking loads are obtained. From the above results and
comparison, it is found that Composite plate of UHMWPE with Epoxy has
higher impact strength than Kevlar and is best suited for manufacturing soft
body armor plates.

42
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44