Cairo University

Faculty of Engineering
Mining, Petroleum and Metallurgy Department
4th Year Metallurgy

Elective Course (2) -

Composite Materials
MET 443
LECTURE 4
By Dr. Ahmed Hatem Al-Khoribi
• Polymer Matrix

• Definition and Function

• Basically, polymer matrix material is a polymer

that is composed of molecules made of many
simpler and smaller units that are repeated
many times. A single unit is called monomer. In
order for the fibers to carry the maximum
possible load, the matrix phase must have a
lower modulus and greater elongation than
those of fibers. The presence of matrix is so
crucial for the FRP composite structure.
• The important functions of matrix material in
FRPs include:

1) Binding the fibers together and fixing them in

the desired geometrical arrangement.

2) Transferring the load to the fibers by

adhesion and/or friction.

3) Provide rigidity and shape to the composite

panel/structure.
4) Isolate the fibers so that they can act
separately (when a filament fails, there will be
other undamaged filaments to support the
load), resulting in slow or no crack propagation.

5) Provide protection to the fibers against

chemical and mechanical damages.

6) Influence performance characteristics such

as ductility, impact strength.

7) Provide final color and surface finish for

connections.
• Type of matrix material and its compatibility
with the fibers also significantly affect the
failure mode of the structure.

• The matrix material plays a minor or a small

role in the tensile load-carrying capacity of a
composite structure since the majority of the
tensile load is transferred to the fiber. However,
selection of a matrix has a major influence on
the compressive, interlaminar (out-of-plane)
shear, and intralaminar (in-plane) shear
properties of the composite material.
• The matrix provides lateral support to the fiber
and the composite against the possibility of
fiber buckling due to compressive loading.
Therefore, the matrix affects, to a large extent,
the compressive strength of the composite
material.
• Also, the processing and defects in a composite
material depend strongly on the processing
conditions of the matrix. For example, when
epoxy polymers are used as matrix in several
aerospace composite structures, the processing
conditions include the liquid viscosity, the
curing temperature, and the curing time.
• Components of Polymer Matrix

• In general, polymer matrix consists of resins and

additives. The main component of the matrix is
the resin while additives are added for certain
purposes.

• Note: Resin is a system of simple hydrocarbons

that is viscous and water-insoluble. Resin is
typically convertible into polymers by
polymerization and/or curing. Resin is also
referred to as “prepolymer” and “precursor”.
Resin can be viewed as system of monomers of
low molecular weight and of low viscosity
(rigidity).
• Resins

• Resins are the main component of a matrix.

Based on the applied manufacturing method,
nature, and properties, there are two major
types of resins. These are thermoplastic and
thermosetting polymers.

• The overall dominating resin for structural

composite applications is a thermoset (giving
lower cost processability and high
performance) although there is renewed
interest in thermoplastic matrices.
• Thermoplastic polymers are ductile in nature
and are usually tougher than thermosetting
polymers. However, thermoplastics have lower
strength and stiffness. They have certain
melting points above which thermoplastics
exist in liquid state. They can be reformed and
reshaped by simply heating and cooling them.
• Since the molecular chains do not cross-link,
thermoplastics are usually flexible and
deformable.

• They have poor creep resistance at high

temperature and are more susceptible to
(easily affected by) solvent than thermosets.

• There are many types of thermoplastics.

Commonly used thermoplastics are nylon,
polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polypropylene
(PP), and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).
• Nowadays, mainly thermosetting polymers are
used in the manufacture of FRP composite
materials.
• Thermosets are usually made from liquid or
semi-solid precursors (resins) which are of low
molecular weight and of low viscosity. These
precursors harden in a series of chemical
reactions called polymerization and curing.
• The manufacturing process is usually referred
to as curing. When the curing process ends,
thermosets are converted into hard solid
producing a tightly bound three-dimensional
network of polymer chains.
• Unlike thermoplastic polymers, once thermosetting
polymers are cured, they cannot be remelted or
reformed (reheating at high temperatures will only
cause decomposition of the matrix). For that reason,
thermosets are usually brittle in nature (or at least
less ductile than thermoplastics).

• Note: Curing is a chemical process in which the

thermosetting resin is hardened by cross-linking of
polymer chains. The goal is to form three-
dimensional network of polymer chains. Curing is
usually induced by heat/radiation and/or chemical
additives (also called curing agents or hardeners).
• The 3D cross-linked network results in
thermosets’ high rigidity, thermal and
dimensional stability, higher electrical,
chemical, and solvent resistance.

• The most important thermosets used in

engineering applications are epoxy resins,
polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, and
phenol resins. In general, thermosetting
polymers in the uncured state are called
resins.
• Residual Stresses

• At the start of the thermosetting composite, the resin

acting as the matrix is initially at a fluid state at the
curing temperature. As the curing process goes on, the
resin viscosity gradually increases as the resin starts to
develop cross-links in between the linear chains in
order to create the final network.

• However, this cross-linking process is accompanied

with the formation of chemical shrinkage also known
as curing shrinkage. After the curing process is over,
the thermosetting composite is cooled down from the
curing temperature to the room temperature leading
to the formation of another type of shrinkage known
as thermal or cooling shrinkage.
• In most cases, shrinkage in FRP composites is always
constrained by the adhesion effect of the resin on the
fiber and as a result the constrained shrinkage is
converted to internal (residual) stresses.
• These stresses are classified according to the type of
shrinkage that caused them, i.e. curing residual
stresses result from curing shrinkage while cooling
residual stresses result from different cooling
shrinkages of polymer matrix and fiber, i.e. cooling
residual stresses arise due to coefficient of thermal
expansion mismatch between the polymer matrix and
the fiber.
• In general, the magnitude of residual stresses depends
on the elastic modulus, the thermal expansion
coefficient, cross-link density, cooling rate, and curing
procedure.
• The presence of these residual stresses is
detrimental to the composite structure.

• They tend to weaken the fiber-matrix interfacial

bonding leading to debonding of the interface. They
also cause various defects such as cracks, voids,
delamination, low performance, and shape
distortion within the manufactured part.

• Thus, it is crucial to reduce shrinkage in order to

minimize these residual stresses and control them.