COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Nurul Farahin bt Musa

Siti Salwa bt Shamsuddin

COMPOSITE MATERIALS
Types of composite materials
Composition of composite
materials
Properties of composite
materials
 Uses of composite materials
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
A composite material is a material made up of two or more
materials that are combined in a way that allows the materials
to stay distinct and identifiable. The purpose of composites is
to allow the new material to have strengths from both
materials, often times covering the original materials'
weaknesses. Composites are different from alloys because
alloys are combined in such a way that it is impossible to tell
one particle, element, or substance from the other. Some
common composite materials include concrete, fiberglass,
mud bricks, and natural composites such as rock and wood.
Composites can be both natural and synthetic (or man-made).
Types of composite materials
Composite materials are usually classified by the type
of reinforcement they use. This reinforcement is
embedded into a matrix that holds it together. The
reinforcement is used to strengthen the composite. For
example, in a mud brick, the matrix is the mud and the
reinforcement is the straw.
Common composite types include random-fiber or
short-fiber reinforcement, continuous-fiber or long-
fiber reinforcement, particulate reinforcement, flake
reinforcement, and filler reinforcement.
reinforce
· v.
1 strengthen (a military force) with additional personnel or material.
2 give added strength to.
– DERIVATIVES reinforcement n. reinforcer n. enforce.
 Types of composite materials
Mud Bricks
 One type of very old composite material invented by early
humans was the mud brick. A normal mud brick is sturdy
and resistant to compression, but can break if bent. Straw is a
material that has excellent tensile strength, meaning that it
resists stretching. By combining both, early humans were
able to create composite mud bricks that could resist weight
and compression as well as stretching.
 Concrete
 Concrete is a composite material made of cement, sand,
stones and water. Combined, concrete is stronger than
any one of these materials. Concrete is used heavily in
building
Fiberglass
• Fiberglass is a material made of tiny glass shards
held together by resin and other components. In
the automotive industry, fiberglass is important
for making body kits. The body shell for a car is
made up of different layers of fiberglass, such as
a gel-coat layer, tissue layer, matting and cloth.
The final product is a complete, waterproof,
lightweight and strong body kit. Fiberglass can
also be a less expensive alternative to other
materials.
Fiberglass
Natural composites :
Wood
is a good example of a natural composite. Wood is a combination
of cellulose fiber and lignin. The cellulose fiber provides strength
and the lignin is the "glue" that bonds and stabilizes the fiber.
Bamboo is a very efficient wood composite structure. The
components are cellulose and lignin, as in all other wood,
however bamboo is hollow. This results in a very light yet stiff
structure. Composite fishing poles and golf club shafts copy this
natural design.
Plywood is a man-made composite combining natural and
synthetic materials. Thin layers of wood veneer are bonded
together with adhesive to form flat sheets of laminated wood that
are stronger than natural wood.
Bamboo
Plywood
Composition of composite materials
 a binder or matrix

a reinforcement
Composition of composite materials
A binder or matrix
The matrix holds the reinforcements in an orderly
pattern. Because the reinforcements are usually
discontinuous, the matrix also helps to transfer load
among the reinforcements.
Matrix materials are usually some type of plastic, and
these composites are often called reinforced plastics.
There are other types of matrices, such as metal or
ceramic, but plastics are by far the most common. two
most common plastic matrices are epoxy resins and
polyester resins.
Composition of composite materials
A reinforcement
Reinforcements basically come in three forms:
1. particulate,
 A particle has roughly equal dimensions in all directions, though
it doesn't have to be spherical. Gravel, microballoons, and resin
powder are examples of particulate reinforcements
2. discontinuous fiber,
• Reinforcements become fibers when one dimension becomes
long compared to others. Discontinuous reinforcements
(chopped fibers, milled fibers, or whiskers) vary in length from
a few millimeters to a few centimeters. Most fibers are only a
few microns in diameter, so it doesn't take much length to make
the transition from particle to fiber.
Composition of composite materials
3. continuous fiber.
• With either particles or short fibers, the matrix
must transfer the load at very short intervals.
Thus, the composite properties cannot come
close to the reinforcement properties.
• With continuous fibers, however, there are few if
any breaks in the reinforcements. Composite
properties are much higher, and continuous
fibers are therefore used in most high
performance components, be they aerospace
structures or sporting goods.
 Properties of composite materials
High Strength –
Composite materials can be designed to meet the specific
strength requirements of an application. A distinct
advantage of composites over other materials is the ability
to use many combinations of resins and reinforcements, and
therefore custom tailor the mechanical and physical
properties of a structure.
To understand this, consider the following example:
Compare a ¼ inch diameter steel rod to a ¼ inch
diameter fiberglass composite rod.
The steel rod will have higher tensile and compressive
strength, but will weigh more.
If the fiberglass rod were increased in diameter to the
same weight as the steel rod, it would be stronger.
Properties of composite materials
Corrosion Resistance – Composites products provide
long-term resistance to severe chemical and
temperature environments. Composites are the
material of choice for outdoor exposure, chemical
handling applications, and severe environment service.
Light Weight – Composites are materials that can be
designed for both light weight and high strength. In
fact, composites are used to produce the highest
strength to weight ratio structures known to man.
Properties of composite materials
Design Flexibility –
Composites have an advantage over other materials
because they can be molded into complex shapes at
relatively low cost. The flexibility of creating complex
shapes offers designers a freedom that hallmarks
composites achievement.
Boats are a good example of the success of composites.
Boats can be made out of a variety of materials – wood,
aluminum, steel, and even cement! Why are most
pleasure boats today built from fiberglass composites?
The reason is that composites can be easily molded into
complex shapes which improve boat design.
Properties of composite materials
Durability –
Composite structures have an exceedingly long life span.
Coupled with low maintenance requirements, the
longevity of composites is a benefit in critical
applications. In a half-century of composites
development, well-designed composite structures have
yet to wear out.
There are numerous examples of boats, buildings, and
other composites structures built in the 1950s, which are
still in service. The bodies of the original 1953 Corvette
are fiberglass, and with the exception of cosmetic repairs,
are still structurally sound.
Uses of composite materials
Composite materials are used to make various
substances in daily life because of the following
reasons:
Metals corrode and are ductile and malleable
Glass and ceramics break easily
Metals are good conductors but have high resistance,
leading to loss of electrical energy as heat
Plastics and glass can withstand heat to certain level
only.
Composite materials have been created to overcome
these problems and to make materials stronger, more
long-lasting and light for specific purposes.
Uses of composite materials
Reinforced concrete
concrete (cement, sand, stones), steel
Ordinary concrete is strong but heavy. Concrete pillars
must be big to support the weight. They take up space
and cannot withstand stress for example from
earthquakes.
Steel pillars are too expensive and can rust.
Reinforced concrete, containing steel rods in the
concrete pillars, can make them stronger and able to
support larger loads. It also does not rust.
Steel pillars
Uses of composite materials
Optical fibre
SiO2, Na2CO3, CaO
This is a fine transparent glass tube that is made of molten glass.
Glass cannot conduct electricity or electronic data in the form of
electrons. But optical fibre allows light to be transmitted
through the tube so that data is transmitted at a faster rate.
In telecommunications, light has replaced electrons as the
transmitter of signals. This light transmits signals through
optical fibre and the field is called optoelectronics.
Optical fibre is also used in the medical field as
laser to do operation
endoscope to examine the internal organs of patients
Uses of composite materials
Photochromic glass
glass, AgCl (or AgBr )
Glass is transparent and not sensitive towards light.
Photochromic glass contains AgCI or AgBr which causes
the glass to darken in sunlight and lighten in the absence
of sunlight.
It is used to make photochromic lenses of spectacles and
protects our eyes from extreme sunlight.
Photochromic lenses of spectacles
Uses of composite materials
Plastic reinforced with glass
fibreglass and polyster resin
While plastic is light and hard, it is brittle. Glass is harder
than plastic but breaks easily. Thus fibre glass is obtained
by adding a polyster resin to molten glass. It cannot be
compressed easily and is more tensile than the original
materials.
Fibre glass is light, withstands corrosion, can be cast into
different shapes, is impervious to water, not very
flammable, not brittle and stronger than even steel.
It is used to make racquets, construction panels, electrical
appliances, pipes, and water tanks.
Uses of composite materials
Superconductor
Itrium oxide (Y203), BaCO3, CuO
It is a substance with almost nil resistance. Thus it saves
electricity.
Copper shows superconductor properties only at -270°C.
Thus the superconductor, a mixture of CuO, Y203, and
BaO, results in a ceramic called perovskite or YBCO. All
the materials used to make this composite substance are
not electrical conductors in their original forms, but as a
superconductor, it conducts electricity without loss of
energy.
Perovskite
 REFERENCE
http://www.ehow.com/about_5868282_types-composit
e-materials.html
http://www.acmanet.org/professionals/index.cfm
http://composite.about.com/od/aboutcompositesplastic
s/l/aa060297.htm
http://wiki.one-school.net/index.php/Evaluating_uses_
of_composite_materials