IntroductiontoComposite

Introduction
to Composite
MaterialsandStructures
NachiketaTiwari
Nachiketa
Tiwari
IndianInstituteofTechnologyKanpur

Lecture6
Aramid,MetallicandOtherFibers

Lecture Overview
LectureOverview
Aramid Fibers
MetallicFibers
OtherTypesofFibers
Other Types of Fibers

Aramid Fibers

Aramid isshortforaromaticpolymide.Aramids areaclassofpolymers,

whereselfrepeatingunitscontainlargephenylrings,linkedtogetherby
amide groups
amidegroups.

p
fibersaremanufacturedfiberswherethe
AsperUSbasedFTC,aramid
fiberformingsubstanceisalongchainsyntheticpolyamideinwhichat
least85%oftheamidelinkages,(CONH)areattacheddirectlytotwo
aromatic rings..
aromaticrings

Importantpropertiesofthesefibersare:

Highresistancetoabrasion
Highresistancetoorganicsolvents
Toughaswellasstrong
Nonconductive
Nomeltingpoint(theystartdegradingat500C)
Lowflammability
Sensitivetoacids,andsolvents

PropertiesofAramid Fibers

Kevlarisaverywellknownandwidelyusedaramid fiber.

InventedbyDuPont
Widely used in ballistic applications
Widelyusedinballisticapplications
Comesindifferentflavors.
ImportantPropertiesofKevlarFibers

Property
Diameter (microns)
Diameter(microns)

Kevlar29

Kevlar49 Kevlar129 Kevlar149

12

12

1.45

1.45

1.5

1.45

Tensilemodulus(GPa)

62

124

96.0

186

Tensilestrength(MPa)

2760

3620

3380.0

3440

Elongation(%)

3.4

2.8

3.3

2.5

AxialCTE(permillionperC)

RadialCTE(permillionperC)

60

60

Specificgravity

BoronFibers

Boronfibersarerelativelymorepopularincomposites,visvisother
fibers(aluminum,steel,etc.).

Thesefibersaremadeusingachemicalvapordeposition(CVD)process.
o
o

Here,borontrichlorideischemicallyreducedinahydrogenenvironmentonatungsten
orcarbonfilamentsubstrate.
Thetungstenorcarbonfilamentisresistivelyheatedattemperaturesinexcessof1500
C.Duetoapplicationoftemperature,borontrichlorideinteractswithhydrogen,and
reducestopureboron.
d
b
Thisborongetsdepositedonthetungstenorcarbonfilament.Asthefilamentis
continuouslypulledoutofreductionchamber,awellcontrolledboronlayerdepositson
the substrate wire These wires have a boron outside
thesubstratewire.Thesewireshaveaboron
outside andatungstenorcarboncore.
and a tungsten or carbon core
ImportantPropertiesofBoronTungstenFibers

P
Property
t

Di 100 i
Dia=100microns
Di 140 i
Dia=140microns
Di 200 i
Dia=200microns

Specificgravity

2.61

2.47

2.4

Tensilemodulus(GPa)

400

400

400.0

Tensilestrength(MPa)

3450

3450

3450.0

CTE(permillionperC)

4.9

4.9

4.9

CeramicFibers

Ceramicfibersareusedinhightemperatureapplications.Thesefibershavehigh
strength, high elastic modulus, as well as the ability to withstand high
strength,highelasticmodulus,aswellastheabilitytowithstandhigh
temperatureswithoutgettingchemicallydegraded.

Commonly used fibers for such applications are made from alumina and SiC
Commonlyusedfibersforsuchapplicationsaremadefromalumina,andSiC.

Aluminafibersaremadespinningaslurryofaluminaandfiringoftheslurry.
Thesefibersretaintheirstrengthupto1370C.

Siliconcarbidefibersareproducedeitherbyachemicalvapordeposition(CVD)
p
y
p
p
(
)
process,orthroughpyrolysis.

SiC fiberretaintheirtensilestrengthupto650C.
fiber retain their tensile strength up to 650 C

AluminaandSiC fibersworkwellinmetalmatrices,unlikecarbonandboronfibers,
sincethelatterreactwithmetalmatrices.Further,duetotheirresistancetohigh
i
th l tt
t ith
t l
ti
F th d t th i
it
t hi h
temperatures,thesefibersarealsousedinturbineblades.

HPPEFibers

HPPEstandsforHighPerformancePolyethylene.

HPPEfibersarehaveadensityslightlylessthanthatofwater.Thus,even
thoughtheirmodulusandstrengthareslightlylessthanKevlarfibers,ona
specificstrength,andspecificmodulusare3040%morethanthatfor
f
h d
f
d l
h
h f
Kevlarfibers.

HPPEfibershaveveryhighenergyabsorptioncharacteristics.Thusthey
arewidelyusedinballisticarmorapplications.

HPPFEfibersmodulusandstrengthincreasessignificantlywithincreasing
strainrates.ThusHPPFEcompositesworkverywellwhensubjectedto
p
y
j
highvelocityimpacts.

HMPE(highmoduluspolyethylene)andECPE(extendedchain
HMPE
(hi h
d l
l h l
) d ECPE (
d d h i
polyethylene)areothermaterialswithchemicalstructuresimilartoHPPE
material.Theirfibersarealsousedincomposites.

Properties of Ceramic and HPPE Fibers

PropertiesofCeramicandHPPEFibers
ImportantPropertiesofCeramicand HPPEFibers
Alumina

SIC(CVD)

SiC
(Pyrolysis)

Diameter(microns)

1525

140

1020

38

Specific gravity
Specificgravity

3 95
3.95

33
3.3

26
2.6

0 97
0.97

Tensilemodulus(GPa)

379

430

180

62120

Tensilestrength(MPa)

1380

3500

2000

21803600

Property

Elongation(%)

HPPE

2.84.4

R f
References
1.

Analysis and Performance of Fiber Composites, Agarwal,

B D and
B.D.
d Broutman,
B t
L J.,
L.
J John
J h Wiley
Wil & Sons.
S

2
2.

Mechanics
M
h i off Composite
C
i Materials,
M
i l Jones,
J
R M.,
R.
M McGraw
M G
Hill.

3.

Engineering Mechanics of Composite Materials, Daniel, I.

M and Ishai,
M.
Ishai O.,
O Oxford University Press.
Press