Vikas Misra

AP (SG)
UPES,Dehradun
 Composites
 Composite material is combination of two or more
chemically unlike materials with distinct boundaries
between them.
 Such materials have their own specific
properties & are usually different from their
individual material properties.
 The properties such as strength, resistance to
heat or some other property of composites are
much better than the properties of individual
materials from which they are made.
 Composites include the following :
 Multiphase metal alloys
.
 Ceramics
 Polymers
 Some common composites are Pearlitic steel,
wood,RCC, automobile tyres
 Composites materials can be divided into 3
main classes :-
 Fibre Reinforced materials
 Laminated Materials
 Disperse Materials
 Fibre Reinforced materials: Here fibres of
. strength materials are introduced into
High
the soft & ductile matrix.
 The strength of soft & ductile matrix gets
increased by high strength fibres
 the resulting composite material will have
high stiffness, high Specific strength( UTS/
density),elevated temp strength & high fracture
toughness.
 Fibres mainly bear the load & the matrix
transfers & distributes the external load to
the fibres.
 .Also matrix protects the fibres from external
actions & imparts certain Physico chemical
.properties such as resistance to corrosion &
oxidation, electrical & thermal conductivity etc.
 The properties of composite materials at
elevated temp may get affected by the
reactions occurring between the matrix &
fibres, this may result in dissolution or softening
of fibres & may also form brittle layer at
interfaces.
 Fibres can be metals or nonmetals.
 The common metallic fibres used in
composite materials are of Boron, Be,Mo,T,SS,
.& non metallic fibres are of C,Glass, Silica,
alumina, silicon carbide & Aramide.
 Aramide is an aromatic polymaide fibre with a
very rigid molecular structure & is marked under
trade name KEVLAR.
 Matrix can also be metallic or non metallic,
common metallic matrices are of Al,Cu,Titanium
alloys & nonmetallic matrices are of unsaturated
polyesters & epoxy resins.
 Fibre reinforced composites have huge
diversified applications. Like helmets, car &
. bodies, bikes, vehicle tyres, aircraft parts
jeep
steel rods etc.
 Laminated Materials : Here the composite
material consists of two or more layers of
unlike components. Like Laminated Plywood,
Alclad aluminum alloy, copper clad Stainless
steel .
 Thermostatic controls consisting of a bimetallic
strip of copper & Ni used to control temperatures
in ovens & furnaces is also a composite material
of this type.
 The properties of these composites & fibre
reinforced composites are highly sensitive to
.
direction of loading w.r.t. the direction of
lamillae or fibres.
 Disperse Materials : Here the particles of one
material are distributed as a mechanical
mixture into the other (Base).
 This is the same as dispersion hardening of
strengthening. Common example of such
composites are Sintered Aluminum powder,
thoriated tungsten, dispersed Nickel.
 Large number of methods are available for
production of composite materials,
.
Important One are Unidirectional
solidification, infiltration of molten metal,
plasma spraying, electroplating, diffusion
bonding, P/M.