Composite Materials
Composite materials are made by combining two or more different materials to create a new material with enhanced properties. These materials often consist of a reinforcement material, such as fibers or particles, embedded in a matrix material. Composites are designed to exhibit specific characteristics, such as increased strength, reduced weight, or improved durability, making them valuable in various industries.
5 Key excerpts on "Composite Materials"
eBook - ePubBiomaterials Science
An Introduction to Materials in Medicine
- Buddy D. Ratner, Allan S. Hoffman, Frederick J. Schoen, Jack E. Lemons(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
...Chapter I.2.9 Composites Claudio Migliaresi Department of Materials Engineering and Industrial Technologies and BioTech Research Center, University of Trento, Trento, Italy Introduction The word composite means “consisting of two or more distinct parts.” At the atomic level, materials such as metal alloys and polymeric materials could be called Composite Materials in that they consist of different and distinct atomic groupings. At the microstructural level (about 1 to 10 microns), a metal alloy such as a plain carbon steel containing ferrite and pearlite could be called a composite material since the ferrite and pearlite are distinctly visible constituents as observed in the optical microscope. In engineering, a composite material usually refers to a material consisting of constituents in the nano- to micro- to macrosize range, each having a distinct interface separating them. Such composites usually consist of one or more discontinuous phases embedded within a continuous phase. The discontinuous phase is usually harder and stronger than the continuous phase, and is called the reinforcement or reinforcing material, whereas the continuous phase is termed the matrix. In some cases, tough fillers, e.g., rubber particles, are combined with brittle matrices in order to produce higher toughness materials with better impact strength. In other cases, the “reinforcement” could be aimed at achieving specific functional properties, such as bioactivity in the case of biomedical composites. Many body tissues are composites, such as extracellular matrix (ECM), tendons, ligaments, skin, bone, and so on, with an additional complexity due to their hierarchical structure. The addition to a matrix of harder, stronger or tougher fillers may improve to different extents the resulting material stiffness, strength or toughness, depending on the filler type, content, and filler–matrix adhesion...
eBook - ePubComposite Materials
Properties, Characterisation, and Applications
- Amit Sachdeva, Pramod Kumar Singh, Hee Woo Rhee, Amit Sachdeva, Pramod Kumar Singh, Hee Woo Rhee(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...One constituent in Composite Materials, the reinforcing phase in the form of fibers, particles, or flakes, is embedded in the other continuous constituent, which is called the matrix. The properties of the reinforcing and matrix phases are complementary to provide the best performance of the composite material for a particular application. The physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the matrix, the reinforcement size, morphology and distribution, and the interface between constituents are important factors in this regard. On the basis of the well-known solid matrices (polymers, ceramic, metals, and carbon), Composite Materials are, in general, classified in to these three major categories: Polymer-matrix composites Ceramic-matrix composites Metal-matrix composites. Figure 3.1 (a) Typical structure of reinforced concrete (Reprinted from Ref. 3); (b) the breakdown of materials used in the Boeing 787 dreamliner and the Airbus A350 XWB by weight. (Reprinted from Ref. 4) Polymer matrix with carbon-fiber reinforcement is used to prepare some advanced composites. These carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer Composite Materials are, generally, lighter and stronger than monolithic systems. They have good tensile strength and provide excellent resistance to compression, which makes them appropriate for manufacturing fuselages of aircraft. The fibrous nature of the composite material inculcates good tensile strength by aligning the fibers in the direction of the applied force. The polymer matrix provides adhesiveness and stiffness properties to the composite to keep the fibers in straight columns and prevent them from buckling. The polymer matrix may be composed of thermosetting polymers such as epoxy, polyester, phenolic and polyimide resins, and thermoplastic polymers such as polypropylene, nylon 6.6, polymethylmethacrylate, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyetheretherketone [ 1 ]...
- Sherif D. El Wakil(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...9 Characteristics, Fabrication, and Design of Composites 9.1 Overview A composite can be defined as a material made up of two (or more) identifiable materials (or phases), combined usually in an ordered fashion to provide specific properties different from and superior to those of the individual materials. Those two materials that constitute any composite are referred to as the matrix and the reinforcement. It is customary to classify composites based on the nature of their matrix materials. Based on that classification, there are three main groups: polymer-matrix, metal-matrix, and ceramic-matrix composites. Most naturally occurring structural materials such as timber are, in fact, composites. Moreover, the merits of crude forms of composites have been known for centuries; for instance, straw-reinforced clay was reportedly used as a building material in Egypt in 1500 BC. It is only in the past 60 years that composites—and fiber-reinforced polymers in particular—have become important engineering material. New synthetic high-strength, high-modulus fibers and new resins and matrix materials have elevated fiber-reinforced composites into the material of choice for innovative lightweight, high-strength engineered products. These developments, along with established engineering design criteria and special processing technology, have advanced fiber-reinforced composites close to the realm of a commodity material of construction. In the areas of automobile bodies, recreational boat hulls, and bathtubs and shower stalls, fiberglass-reinforced organic polymer resins have indeed become the material of choice. In more advanced applications, the first completely fiber-reinforced polymeric resin composite aircraft, the Boeing 787, came into existence in the 1980s and is now widely used by various airlines...
eBook - ePub- W. Bolton, R.A. Higgins(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...23 Composite Materials 23.1 Introduction Those engineering materials loosely referred to as composites include a wide range of products, ranging from those used in high-strength aircraft components to road-building tarmacadam and concrete. Generally, composites are manufactured by mixing together two separate components, one of which forms a continuous matrix whilst the other, present either as particles or fibres, provides the strength or hardness required in the composite material. Of these materials, fibre-reinforced composites are the most significant in the modern engineering world and the whole of the next chapter will be devoted to them. This chapter is devoted to, what can be termed, particle composites. 23.1.1 Particle composites Particle composites can be divided into three groups: Particle-hardened composites containing particles of a very hard constituent embedded in a tough, shock-resistant matrix, e.g. hard metallic carbide particles in a tough metallic matrix, used for tool and die materials. Dispersion-hardened composites containing finely dispersed hard, but strong, particles which will raise the strength of the parent material, e.g. A1 2 O 3, particles in specially prepared metallic aluminium. 'Filler' composites containing particulate material of very low cost which has been added as a 'filler' to 'bulk-up' the matrix material. Bakelite mouldings have long been 'filled' with sawdust, wood flour or finely ground minerals such as sand and limestone. Some cohesion between the particles and the matrix is necessary and this may be achieved by either: Mechanical bonding which will operate when the surface of the particle material is rough or irregular in texture and the matrix is added as a liquid, e.g...
- Shashanka Rajendrachari, Orhan Uzun(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Bentham Science Publishers(Publisher)
...Composites R. Shashanka, Orhan Uzun Abstract In this chapter, we have discussed the basics of Composite Materials, types, properties, and applications. Students will learn the fundamentals of Composite Materials and their importance in many engineering fields. Composite Materials can be defined as “the combination of a hard and a soft material” or “these are the materials composed of different parts with specific ratios”. This chapter comprises of the advantages and disadvantages of composites and also focuses on different fabrication methods of preparing composites. Fundamentals of nanocomposites and their recent improvements are also added in this chapter. Keywords: Ceramic matrix, Composites, Fabrication, Fibers, Fiber-reinforced plastics, Fillers, Laminates, Metal matrix, Nanocomposites, Polymer matrix, Reinforcements, Resin. 1. INTRODUCTION In recent years, Composite Materials are becoming more popular due to the possibility of fabricating high-tech materials for modern applications. Composites (see Fig. 1) are revolutionary materials that have been used in various engineering fields for more than 60 years [ 1, 2 ]. The important advantages of Composite Materials over other bulk materials are their high strength to low weight ratios, their stiffness combined with low density [ 3 ]. The reinforcing phases are always harder, stronger than the matrix constituent, and impart greater strength and stiffness to the matrix. Composite is a future technology, and therefore, more and more research work is going on all over the world to improve the microstructure, mechanical properties, electrical properties, corrosion resistance properties, and surface properties. One of the earliest man-made Composite Materials are bricks made up of straw and mud for constructing buildings during the Egyptian era, as drawn in their tomb paintings [ 1 ]...
