5.1 5 Composite Materials and Processes S. T. Peters Process Research Mountain View, California 5.1 Introduction There are two general types of composites, distinguished by the type of materials that are used in construction and by the general market in which they can be found. The more prevalent composites, such as used in printed circuit boards, shower enclosures, and pleasure boats, are generally reinforced with fiberglass fabric, use a type of polyester resin as the matrix, and can be referred to as commodity composites. Large overlaps exist for the two types; for instance, there is a signifi- cant weight percent of fiberglass-reinforced plastic in most commercial airliners, and carbon/graphite or aramid have been used in reinforcing laminated truss beams for home building. Modern structural compos- ites, frequently referred to as advanced composites, can be distin- guished from commodity composites because of their frequent use of more exotic or expensive matrix materials and higher-priced rein- forcements such as carbon/graphite, and they can be found in more structurally demanding locations that have a greater need for weight savings. They are a blend of two or more components. One component is made up of stiff, long fibers, and the other, for polymeric composites, is a resinous binder or matrix that holds the fibers in place. The fibers are strong and stiff relative to the matrix and are generally orthotro- pic (having different properties in two different directions). These properties are most evident when the components are shown in a breakdown view as in Fig. 5.1. The fiber for advanced structural composites is long, with length-to- diameter ratios >100. Predominately, for advanced structural compos-
Composite Materials and Processes
Jun 24, 2023
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