Composite Materials

Chapter 10. Micromechanics of

Composites
10.1 Mechanical Properties

Fig 10.1 Unidirectional composite: a. isostrain or action in pa

rallel, b. isostress or action in series
Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Density
mc = mf + mm ----------(1)
Where mc : mass of composite, mf : mass of fiber,
mm : mass of matrix
vc = vf + vm + vv ---------(2)
Where vv : volume of voids
Mf + Mm = 1-------------(3)
and
vf + vm + vv = 1 ----------(4)
Composite density, c(= m/v) is given by
c = mc/ vc = mf + mm / vc = fvf + mvm / vc
10.1 Mechanical Properties
or c = fvf + mvm-------(5)
We can also derive an expression for c in terms of m
ass fraction. Thus,
c = mc / vc = mc / vf+vm+Vv = mc / (mf / f + mm / m + Vv)
= 1 / ( Mf / f + Mm / m + Vv / mc )
= 1 / ( Mf / f + Mm / m + vv / cvc )
= 1 / ( Mf / f + Mm / m + Vv / c ) ------(6)
Rewriting eq.(6), we obtain
or c = c / c [ Mf / f + Mm / m ] + Vv
Vv = 1 c ( Mf / f + Mm / m ) -----(7)
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Fig 10.2 Variation of l
ongitudinal modulu
s (E11) and transvers
e modulus (E22) wit
h fiber volume fracti
on (Vf)
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Isostrain or action in parallel situation
If two components adhere perfectly and if they
have the same poisson ratio two components will
under go the same longitudinal at elongation, l.
f = m + cl = l / l -------(8)
Where cl is the strain in the composite in longitudin
al direction by Voigt[1910]
f = Eff , m = Emm
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Let Ac, Am, Af be the cross-sectional area of the
composite, matrix, and all the fiber respectively.
From the equilibrium of for in fiber direction,
Pc = Pf + Pm or clAc = fAf + mAm ---(9)
From eqs. (8) and (9),
clAc = (EfAf + EmAm) cl
or Ecl = cl / cl = Ef ( Af / Ac) + Em ( Am / Ac)
for a given composites length, Af / Ac = Vf,
Am / Ac =Vm, then the above expression can be simplifield
to Ecl = EfVf + Em Vm = E11------(10) : rule of mixture for E
Similar expression can be obtained for composite longitudinal stren
gth from eq(9), namely
cl = f Vf + m Vm -(11) : rule of mixture for strenth
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Isostress or Action in series
Equal stress in twocomponents [by Reuss, (1929)]
for loading transverse to the fiber direction,
We have

cl
For total displacements of m
the composite,
f t c is the s
um of displacements of the fibers and matrix.

tc tm t f
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Diving through by tc, composite gage length, we obtain
tc tm t f

t c t c t c

Now, t c / t c ,ct composite strain in transverse direction,

while t mand t fequal the strains in matrix and fiber times thei
r respective gage length :
t m m and
tm t f . ftf
Then

tc tm tm t f tm t m ----(12) t
ct m f
f
ct or
t c t t
m c t t
c c t c t c
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Volume fraction of fiber and matrix can be written
t t
v and v
m f

t m
t f

This simplifies eq(12) to et m vm f--(13)

c c

vf
In elastic regime, ct m vm f ,vEq(13)
f
becomes

ct
ct V m ct V
orf 1
Vm
V --(14)
f

1
E ct E m E f E ct E m E E
f 22
10.1 Mechanical Properties
Rules of Mixture
c f V f mV m (Density)
Iso-strain, action in Parallel
E E V cl
f f
E V m m

V cl f f
V m m

Iso-stress condition, action in series

t
m vm f v f

1
v
m

v f

1
E ct E m E f E 22
 10.1 Mechanical Properties

Fig. 10.3 Various fiber arrays in a matrix : (A) square (b) Hexagonal (c) random

Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)

10.1 Mechanical Properties
Fig 10.4 Transversely i
sotropic fiber comp
osites : plane transv
erse to fibers (2-3 p
lane) is isotropic

Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)

10.1 Mechanical Properties
Fig 10.5 A Single Fiber s
um owened by its ma
trix shell

Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)

10.1 Mechanical Properties
Fig 10.6 Three dimensional
stress distribution in the
unit composite. Transver
se stress (r and ) result
from the differences in t
he Poisson ratios of the f
iber and matrix.

Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)

10.1 Mechanical Properties
Stress Distribution in a fiber composite in the above Fig 10.6
Fallowing Inferences are drawn at below
1. Axial stress is uniform in component 1 and 2,stress magnitude de
pends on the respective elastic constants.
2. In central component 1, r1 and 1 are equal in magnitude and se
nse. In the sleeve 2, 2 vary as 1-b2/r2 and 1+b2/r2, respectively.
3. When the Poisson ratio difference ( V2 V1 ) goes to zero, r and
go to zero ; the rheological interaction will vanish.
4. Small difference in Poisson ratio of components of metallic comp
osite.
Transverse stress developing in elastic regime will be small.
10.2 Thermal Properties
Thermal expansion coefficients of are less than th
e value expressed by rule of mixture (=ff+ mm)

mechanical constraint on the matrix.

A fiber results in the a greater constraint than a
partical.
10.2 Thermal Properties
Volumetric expansion coefficient of a composite
-spherical particles dispersed in a matrix-
By Kerner, proc. Phys. Soc. London, B69, 808(1956)
(1 / k m ) (1 / k p )
c
mV m p V p
( m p ) v m v p
vmmatrix
v p and
v p kparticle
( / )( / ) (3 / 4Gm)
Where subscripts m and p denote the m
res
pectively ; c,m and p are the volumetric thermal expansi
on coefficients of composite, matrix and the particle, resp
ectively ; km and kp are the bulk moduli of matrix and parti
cle.
c does not significantly differ from the value obtained from t
he rule of mixture.
 10.2 Thermal Properties
Expansion coefficient of a fiber composite
by Schapery, J.composite Mater., 2, 311(1969)
Assuming the Poisson ratios of components are not very different. L
ongitudinal
cl
( m E mV m f E f V f ) /( E mV m E f V --Eq(10.34)
f
)
Transverse
ct (1 vmV m (1 v f ) f V f --Eq(10.35)
cl v
When v is Poisson ratio given by v = vfVf + vmVm
For high fiber volume fraction, Vf 0.2
cA
(1 vm) mV m --Eq(10.36)
fV f

Expansion Coefficient for a Composite conTaining

Randomly Oriented fibers in three dimension cl
2 ct
3
10.2 Thermal Properties
Thermal Conductivity ( k ) of a fiber composite in
fiber direction.
by E. Behrens, J. Composite Mater., 2, 2(1968)

k cl
k V
f f
k V m m
10.2 Thermal Properties
Fig 10.7 Longitudinal an
d transverse linear ther
mal expansion coeffici
ents versus fiber volum
fraction for alumina fib
er in an aluminum mat
rix.

Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)

10.2 Thermal Properties

Table 10.4 Thermal properties of transversely isotrop

ic composite (matrix isotropic, fiber anisotropic)
Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)
10.2 Thermal Properties

Fig 10.8 Strain-free reference state ; b thermal strain ( eT ) ; c hygr

al ( eH ) and thermal ( eT ) strains ; d hygral ( eH ), thermal ( eT ),
mechanical strain ( e ) final state.

Krishan K. Chawla, Composite materials science and engineering, Springer-Verlag, (1998)