Introduction to Composite Materials

Copyright Carl Zweben 2010 Slide 1

INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Carl Zweben, PhD Life Fellow ASME

Fellow SAMPE and ASMAssociate Fellow, AIAA

Composites & Thermal Materials Consultant 62 Arlington Road

Devon, PA 19333-1538 Phone: 610-688-1772

E-mail: [email protected]://sites.google.com/site/zwebenconsulting

http://sites.google.com/site/zwebenconsulting


The information in these slides is part of a short course on composite materials that is presented

publicly and in-house

Contact author for information


OUTLINE

• Introduction• Key fibers and composites• Status of PMCs, MMCs, CAMCs, CMCs• Applications• Appendix


INTRODUCTION


COMPOSITE MATERIAL

1. Two or more materials bonded together (Anthony Kelly)– Distinguishes composites from alloys

2. A material consisting of any combination of fibers, whiskers and particles in a common matrix


WHY COMPOSITES?

• High specific strength (strength/density)• High specific modulus (modulus/density)• Fatigue resistance• Creep and creep rupture resistance• Low, tailorable coefficient of thermal expansion• High temperature capability • Wear resistance• Corrosion resistance• Tailorable electrical conductivity

– Very low to very high


WHY COMPOSITES? (continued)

• Tailorable thermal conductivity – very low to extremely high

• Tailorable mechanical and thermal properties• Unique combinations of properties• Great design flexibility• Formable to complex shapes• Low cost (some)• Enabling technology for many applications, e.g.

– Lightweight vehicle and aerospace structures– High-performance thermal management– Lightweight optical systems– Infrastructure repair


DESIGN FLEXIBILITY


CLASSES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

MATRIX

REINFORCEMENTPolymer Metal Ceramic Carbon

Polymer X X X XMetal X X X X

Ceramic X X X XCarbon X X X X

Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs)Metal Matrix Composites (CMCs)Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC)

Carbon Matrix Composites (CAMCs)Carbon/Carbon Composites (CCCs)


REINFORCEMENTS

Continuous Fibers

Particles

Discontinuous Fibers, Whiskers

Fabrics, Braids, etc.


TERMINOLOGY

• Advanced composite: composite with properties superior to those of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP)

• Specific property– Absolute property divided by density (or

specific gravity, which is dimensionless)


BRIEF HISTORY OF COMPOSITES

• Straw--reinforced mud cited in Old Testament– Organic fiber-reinforced CMC

• GFRP well established by 1950s• R&D on advanced composites: CCCs, PMCs,

MMCs and CMCs started 1960s-1970s• Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs)

became dominant advanced composites in 1970s• CCCs established for thermal protection ~ 1970s• MMCs used in specialty applications

– Automobile engines– Electronics thermal management


BRIEF HISTORY OF COMPOSITES (continued)

• CMCs used in specialty applications• GFRP most widely used composite, by far• CFRP dominates high-performance applications• Composites now baseline in numerous aerospace

and commercial applications• Industrial applications now largest sector

– Everything except aerospace and sports– Wind turbine blades, infrastructure, etc.


COMMON TYPES OF LAMINATESCOMMON TYPES OF LAMINATES


KEY FIBERS AND COMPOSITES


KEY FIBERS

• Glass– E-glass most widely used fiber by orders of

magnitude– Others: high-strength, chemical-resistant

• Carbon– Workhorse high-performance fibers– Many types: polyacrylonitrile (PAN), pitch,

CVD, etc.)• Boron• Silicon carbide-based• Alumina-based


KEY FIBERS (continued)

• High-modulus synthetic organics– Aramid (aromatic polyamide)– High density polyethylene– PBO– M5 PIPD

• Natural organic fibers, e.g.• Flax, jute, hemp and kenaf, wood, etc.

• Basalt


CARBON FIBER IMPROVEMENTS 1965 - 2005

1965** 2005Max modulus, GPa (MSI) 380 (55) 965 (140)Max tens str, GPa (KSI) 2.3 (330) 6.9 (1000)No. of PAN-based fibers 3 DozensNo. of pitch-based fibers 0 ManyMax therm cond, W/m.K 30 2000Max fiber length 1m ContinuousMinimum cost $2000/Kg $16/Kg

** Carbon fibers were experimental in 1965


ELECTRICAL AND THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY


SPECIFIC TENSILE STRENGTH vs SPECIFIC MODULUS (Tensile strength/density vs. Modulus/density)

0 100 200 3000

1000

2000

2500

1500

500

Specific Modulus (MPa)

Spec

ific

Tens

ile S

tren

gth

(GPa

)UHS PAN C/Ep

SM PAN C/Ep

SiCp /AlBe

Boron/EpUHM PAN C/Ep

UHM Pitch C/Ep

E-Glass/EpAluminum, Steel,

Titanium, Magnesium

Aramid/Ep

UnidirectionalQuasi-Isotropic


MAXIMUM USE TEMPERATURE vs. DENSITY


CONTINUOUS FIBERS MAKE CERAMICS AND CARBON USEFUL STRUCTURAL MATERIALS


0 20 40 60 80 100

PARTICLE VOLUME FRACTION (%)

CO

EFFI

CIE

NT

OF

THER

MA

L EX

PAN

SIO

N (p

p m/K

)

25

20

15

10

5

0

Aluminum

Copper

Beryllium

Titanium, SteelAluminaSilicon

Powder MetallurgyInfiltration

CTE OF SILICON-CARBIDE-PARTICLE-REINFORCED ALUMINUM (Al/SiC) vs PARTICLE VOLUME FRACTION

E-glass PCB

NEW MATERIAL


Silver

Copper

Aluminum

E-glass PCB

SiC/Al (Al/SiC)

C/Al

C/Cu

C/C

C/Ep

Cu/W

Kovar

Si, GaAs, Silica, Alumina, Beryllia, Aluminum Nitride, LTCC

Si-Al

Diamond-Particle-Reinforced Metals and Ceramics

SiC/Cu

HO

PG

(170

0)

-5 0 5 10 15 20 25COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION (ppm/K)

THER

MA

L C

ON

DU

CTI

VITY

(W/m

K)

100

200

300

400

500

600

0 Invar

THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY vs CTE FOR PACKAGING MATERIALS

1200


APPLICATIONS


STATUS OF COMPOSITES

• PMCs workhorse materials for structures– Wide range of commercial and aerospace

applications– E-glass and carbon key fibers– Thermosets key resins– Increasing use of thermoplastics– Natural fibers in automotive secondary parts– Nanoclay/thermoplastics in automobiles

• Carbon matrix composites– CCCs well established for thermal protection– SiC/carbon in aircraft engine parts


STATUS OF COMPOSITES (cont.)

• CMCs– Challenging CAMCs– Limited, but significant use

• MMCs– Cermets (ceramic/metal) widely used

• E.g. “tungsten carbide” cutting tools– Used in Honda and Toyota auto engines– Limited use of fiber- and particle-reinforced

materials in structures and machine parts– Transmission lines in early production– Widely used in electronic packaging


KEY ADVANCED COMPOSITES APPLICATIONS

• Aerospace & defense structures– Aircraft– Spacecraft– Missiles and launch vehicles– Ships– Optical systems

• Aircraft engines• Sports equipment• Natural gas vehicle fuel tanks• Wind turbine blades


KEY ADVANCED COMPOSITES APPLICATIONS (cont)

• Infrastructure• Biomedical equipment• Precision machinery• Oil exploration and production• Automobile engines• High-end automobile structures and brakes• Machinery• Electronics and photonics thermal management


COMPOSITES ARE THE MATERIALS OF THE HERE AND NOW


APPENDIX 1 PROPERTIES OF SELECTED

COMPOSITE MATERIALS


PROPERTIES OF SELECTED COMPOSITES

• Thousands of different materials in production• Polymer matrix composites• Metal matrix composites• Carbon matrix composites

– Carbon/carbon composites• Ceramic matrix composites


PROPERTIES OF UNIDIRECTIONAL ULTRAHIGH- STRENGTH PAN CARBON/ POLYMER

Axial extensional modulus = 25 MSI (170 GPa)Transverse extensional modulus = 1.5 MSI (10 GPa)Axial shear modulus = 0.6 MSI (4.1 GPa)Axial Poisson’s ratio = 0.25Axial tensile strength = 510 KSI (3530 MPa)Transverse tensile strength = 6 KSI (41 MPa)Axial compression strength = 200 KSI (1380 MPa)Transverse compression strength = 25 KSI (170 MPa)Axial CTE = 0.3 PPM/F (0.5 PPM/K)Transverse CTE = 15 PPM/F (27 PPM/K)Axial Thermal Conductivity = 6 BTU/h-ft-F (10 W/mK)Transverse Thermal Cond = 0.3 BTU/h-ft-F (0.5 W/mK)Density = 0.058 PCI (1.61g/cm3)


PROPERTIES OF QUASI-ISOTROPIC ULTRAHIGH- STRENGTH PAN CARBON/ POLYMER

Extensional modulus = 9.1 MSI (63 GPa)Shear modulus = 3 MSI (21 GPa)Poisson’s ratio = 0.32Tensile strength = 200 KSI (1350 MPa)Compression strength = 84 KSI (580 MPa)Inplane CTE = 1.3 PPM/F (2.3 PPM/K)Inplane thermal cond = 3 BTU/h-ft-F (6 W/mK)Density = 0.058 PCI (1.61 g/cm3)


PROPERTIES OF UNIDIRECTIONAL ULTRAHIGH- MODULUS PITCH CARBON/POLYMER

Axial extensional modulus = 70 MSI (480 GPa)Transverse extensional modulus = 1.5 MSI (10 GPa)Axial shear modulus = 0.6 MSI (4.1 GPa)Axial Poisson’s ratio = 0.25Axial tensile strength = 130 KSI (900 MPa)Transverse tensile strength = 3 KSI (20 MPa)Axial compression strength = 40 KSI (280 MPa)Transverse compression strength = 15 KSI (100 MPa)Inplane shear strength = 6 KSI (41 MPa)Axial CTE = - 0.6 PPM/F (-1.1 PPM/K)Transverse CTE = 15 PPM/F (27 PPM/K)Axial Thermal Conductivity = 380 BTU/h-ft-F (660 W/mK)Transverse Thermal Cond = 6 BTU/h-ft-F (10 W/mK)Density = 0.065 PCI (1.8 g/cm3)


PROPERTIES OF QUASI-ISOTROPIC ULTRAHIGH MODULUS PITCH CARBON/ POLYMER

Extensional modulus = 24 MSI (165 GPa)Shear modulus = 9.2 MSI (9.2 GPa)Poisson’s ratio = 0.32Tensile strength = 45 KSI (310 MPa)Compression strength = 14 KSI (96 MPa)Inplane CTE = - 0.2 PPM/F (-0.4 PPM/K)Inplane therm cond = 195 BTU/h-ft-F (335 W/mK)Density = 0.065 PCI (1.80 g/cm3)


PROPERTIES OF SELECTED UNIDIRECTIONAL MMCs

Fiber Matrix Density Axial Trans Axial Trans Axial g/cm3 Mod Mod Tens Tens Comp

GPa GPa Str Str Str (Msi) (Msi) MPa MPa MPa

(Msi) (Ksi) (Ksi)

UHM Carb Al 2.4 450 15 690 15 340(pitch) (65) (5) (100) (5) (50)

Boron Al 2.6 210 140 1240 140 1720(30) (20) (180) (20) (250)

Alumina Al 3.2 240 130 1700 120 1800(35) (19) (250) (17) (260)

SiC Ti 3.6 260 170 1700 340 2760 (38) (25) (250) (50) (400)


PROPERTIES OF ALUMINUM, TITANIUM AND SILICON CARBIDE-PARTICLE REINFORCED ALUMINUM

Aluminum Titanium Composite(6061-T6) (6Al-4V) Particle Vf (%)

Property 25 55 70Modulus, GPa 69 100 114 186 265Tens yield, MPa 275 1000 400 495 -Tens Ult, Mpa 310 1100 485 530 225Elongation, % 15 5 3.8 0.6 0.1Cond, W/m-K 180 6.7 ~200 ~200 ~200CTE, PPM/K 23 9 16.4 10.4 6.2 Density (g/cm3) 2.77 4.43 2.88 2.96 3.00


TITANIUM CARBIDE PARTICLE-REINFORCED STEEL (“FERRO-TIC”)

Tool Steel “Ferro-TiC”Density, g/cm3 7.9 6.60Elastic modulus, GPa 200 290Modulus/density, GPa 25 44Tensile strength, GPa 0.6-2.0 1.5Comp strength, GPa - 3.6

Source: Alloy Technology


ULTRAHIGH-THERMAL-CONDUCTIVITY MATERIALS

k CTE Specific k/SGMATERIAL (W/m-K) (ppm/K) Gravity (W/m-K)Copper 400 17 8.9 45Diamond/Al 325-600 7-9 3-4 93-171Diamond/Cu 400-1200 5-7.7.7 5.5-7 62-185Diamond/Co >600 3.0 4.1 >146Diamond/Ag 550-650 5-8 6-7 85-100Diamond/SiC 600-680 1.8 3.3 182-206---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Diamond/Si 525 4.5 - -Diamond/Mg 575 5.5 - -Diamond+SiC/Al 575 5 - -

Materials below line are experimental


MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF 2D ACC-4 ADVANCED CARBON/CARBON (0/90)

PROPERTYTensile modulus 103 GPa 15 MsiCompression modulus 103 GPa 15 MsiInplane shear modulus 17 GPa 2.5 MsiInterlaminar tensile modulus 10 GPa 1.5 MsiTensile strength 276 MPa 40 KsiCompression strength 165 MPa 24 KsiInplane shear strength 41 MPa 2.5 KsiInterlaminar shear strength 10 MPa 1.5 KsiInterlaminar tensile strength 10 MPa 0.9 Ksi

Source: H.G. Maahs, “Carbon-Carbon Composites”, Flight Vehicle Materials, Structures and Dynamics, vol. 3, ASME, New York, 1992


PROPERTIES OF ENHANCED SiC/SiC

Reinforcement: CG “Nicalon” plain weave fabricProcess: chemical vapor infiltrationProprietary materials added to matrix to protect fibersDensity: 2.30 g/cm3 (0.083 lb/in3)Axial tensile modulus, GPa (Msi): 140 (20)Inplane shear modulus, GPa (Ksi) : 70 (10)Tensile strength, MPa (Ksi): 225 (33)Compressive strength, MPa (Ksi): 500 (73)Inplane shear strength MPa, (Ksi) : 180 (26)Through-thickness tensile strength, MPa (Ksi): >13 (>1.9)Interlam. shear strength, MPa (Ksi): 30 (4.3)

Source: AlliedSignal/Honeywell Advanced Composites/GE Power Systems


APPENDIX 2 ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMINOLOGY


TERMINOLOGY

• Homogeneous– Properties constant throughout material

• Heterogeneous– Properties vary throughout material– E.g. different in matrix and reinforcement– Composites always heterogeneous

• Isotropic– Properties the same in every direction– Particulate composites can be isotropic


TERMINOLOGY (continued)

• Anisotropic– Properties vary with direction– Fiber-reinforced materials typically anisotropic– May be inplane isotropic (transversely

isotropic)• Specific property

– Absolute property divided by density (or specific gravity, which is dimensionless)


KEY ABBREVIATIONS• PMC: polymer matrix composite• CMC: ceramic matrix composite• MMC: metal matrix composite• CAMC: carbon matrix composite• CCC: carbon/carbon composite• CFRP: carbon fiber-reinforced polymer• GFRP: glass fiber-reinforced polymer• AFRP: aramid fiber-reinforced polymer• C: carbon• CNT: carbon nanotube• PAN: polyacrylonitrile• Ep: epoxy• BMI: bismaleimide• PI: polyimide• DRA: discontinuously reinforced aluminum USAF

– SiC particle-reinforced aluminum– Called Al/SiC in electronic packaging industry