MDP3022

Composite Materials
Faculty of engineering
Cairo university
Mechanical design and
production department

Take-Home Exam
Composite

Supervised by:
Ass. Prof. Dr. Emad El Kashif

Name ID
‫عل حساني‬
‫احمد وليد ي‬ 9210178
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Question 1
• What would be the critical length, Lc, for maximum load in a 10-μm-
diameter fiber with a fracture strength of 2 GPa embedded in a matrix
such that the shear strength of the matrix–fiberinterface is 80 MPa?
Sol
𝝈𝒇 ∗ 𝒅 𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟑 ∗ 𝟏𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟑
𝑳𝑪 = = = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟐𝟓𝒎𝒎
𝟐 ∗ 𝝉𝒄 𝟐 ∗ 𝟖𝟎

• Estimate the greatest value of the elastic modulus that can be

obtained by long randomlyoriented fibers of E-glass embedded in an
epoxy resin if the volume fraction of fiber is 30%.Assume that the
modulus of the epoxy is 6 GPa.
Sol
For random orientation
𝟑 𝟓
𝑬𝒇 = ∗ 𝑬𝟏𝟏 + ∗ 𝑬_
𝟖 𝟖
Longitudinal Young’s modulus E11 = 40 GPa
Transverse Young’s modulus E⊥ = 10 GPa
𝟑 𝟓
𝑬𝒇 = ∗ 𝟒𝟎 + ∗ 𝟏𝟎 = 𝟐𝟏. 𝟐𝟓𝑮𝑷𝒂
𝟖 𝟖
𝑬 𝒄 = 𝑽𝒎 ∗ 𝑬 𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇 ∗ 𝑬 𝒇
𝑬𝒄 = 𝟎. 𝟕 ∗ 𝟔 + 𝟎. 𝟑 ∗ 𝟐𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 = 𝟏𝟎. 𝟓𝟕𝟓𝑮𝑷𝒂

• Carbide cutting tools are composites of very hard tungsten carbide

particles in a cobalt matrix. The elastic moduli of tungsten carbide and
cobalt are 98 ×106 and 35 × 106 psi, respectively. It wasexperimentally
found that the elastic modulus of composite containing 50 vol. %
carbide was 60 ×106 psi. What value of the exponent n in Equation
(21.26) would this measurement suggest? A trial-and-error solution is
necessary to solve this. Note that n = 0, is a trivial solution.
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Sol

𝑬 𝒏 = 𝑽𝑨 ∗ 𝑬 𝑨 𝟐 + 𝑽𝑩 ∗ 𝑬 𝑩 𝟐
𝟔𝟎𝒏 = 𝟎. 𝟓 ∗ 𝟗𝟖𝒏 + 𝟎. 𝟓 ∗ 𝟑𝟓𝐧
n=0.18256

• Cite one similarity and two differences between precipitation

hardening and dispersionstrengthening.
Sol
The similarity is in the strengthening mechanism, the
precipitates/particles effectively obstruct the dislocation motion. The two
differences are:
(A) The hardening/strengthening effect is not retained at elevated
temperatures for precipitation hardening. However, it is retained
for dispersion strengthening.
(B) The strength is developed by a heat treatment for precipitation
hardening, such is not the case for dispersion strengthening.

Question 2
A steel wire (diameter 2.0 mm) is coated with aluminum 0.40 mm thick.
A. Will the steel or the aluminum yield first as tension is applied to the wire?
B. What tensile load can the wire withstand without yielding?
C. What is the composite elastic modulus?
D. Calculate the composite thermal expansion coefficient.
Young’s modulus (GPa) Yield strength (MPa) Poisson’s ratio Linear coef. of thermal
expans. (K−1)
Aluminum 70 65 0.3 24 × 10− 6
Steel 210 280 0.3 12 × 10− 6
Sol
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A
𝝈𝒚
𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝜺 =
𝑬
𝝈𝒚 𝟐𝟖𝟎 −𝟑
𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝜺𝑺 = = 𝟑
= 𝟏. 𝟑 ∗ 𝟏𝟎
𝑬 𝟐𝟏𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟎
𝝈𝒚 𝟔𝟓 −𝟒
𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝜺𝑨 = = 𝟑
= 𝟗. 𝟐𝟖 ∗ 𝟏𝟎
𝑬 𝟕𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟎

B
𝝅
𝑨𝑺 ∗ 𝟐𝟐
𝑽𝑺 = = 𝟒 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟏
𝑨𝒄 𝝅 ∗ 𝟐. 𝟖𝟐
𝟒
𝑽𝐴 = 𝟏 − 𝑽𝑺 = 𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟓𝟏 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗
𝝈𝑺 = 𝑬𝑺 ∗ 𝜺𝑨 = 𝟐𝟏𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟑 ∗ 𝟗. 𝟐𝟖 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 = 𝟏𝟗𝟒. 𝟖𝟖𝑴𝑷𝒂
𝝈𝒄 = 𝑽𝑺 ∗ 𝝈𝑺 + 𝑽𝐴 ∗ 𝝈𝒚 = ሺ𝟎. 𝟓𝟏 ∗ 𝟏𝟗𝟒. 𝟖𝟖ሻ + ሺ𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟔𝟓ሻ = 𝟏𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟒𝑴𝑷𝒂
𝑭𝒄 = 𝝈𝒄 ∗ 𝑨𝒄 = 𝟖𝟎𝟗. 𝟎𝟗𝟖𝑵

C
𝑬𝒄 = 𝑽𝒎 ∗ 𝑬𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇 ∗ 𝑬𝒇 = 𝟐𝟏𝟎 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟓𝟏 + 𝟕𝟎 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 = 𝟏𝟒𝟏. 𝟒𝑮𝑷𝒂

D
For longitudinal direction
𝑉𝑠 ∗ 𝛼𝑠 ∗ 𝐸𝑠 + 𝑉𝑨 ∗ 𝛼𝑨 ∗ 𝐸𝑨
𝛼1 =
𝑉𝒔 ∗ 𝐸𝑆 + 𝑉𝑨 ∗ 𝐸𝐴
𝟎. 𝟓𝟏 ∗ 𝟏𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 ∗ 𝟐𝟏𝟎 + 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟐𝟒 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 ∗ 𝟕𝟎
= = 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟓 𝑲−𝟏
𝟎. 𝟓𝟏 ∗ 𝟐𝟏𝟎 + 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟕𝟎
For transverse direction
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𝛼1 = ሺ𝟏 + 𝛎𝑺 ሻ ∗ 𝛼𝑺 ∗ 𝑉𝒔 + ሺ1 + 𝛎𝑨 ሻ ∗ 𝛼𝑨 ∗ 𝑉𝑨 − 𝛼1𝟐 ∗ 𝛎𝟏𝟐
= ሺ𝟏 + 𝟎. 𝟑ሻ ∗ 𝟎. 𝟓𝟏 ∗ 𝟏𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 + ሺ𝟏 + 𝟎. 𝟑ሻ ∗ 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟐𝟒 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 − 𝟎. 𝟑
∗ 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟓 = 𝟏. 𝟖𝟕𝟕𝟒 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟓 𝑲−𝟏

b. Consider a carbon-reinforced epoxy composite containing 40 vol% uni-

directionally alignedcarbon fibers.
A. Calculate the composite modulus.
B. Calculate the composite tensile strength. Assume both the epoxy and
carbon are elastic tofracture.
Data:
Young’s modulus Tensile strength
Epoxy 3 GPa 55 MPa
Carbon 250 GPa 2.5 GPa

Sol
A
𝑬𝒄 = 𝑽𝒎 ∗ 𝑬𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇 ∗ 𝑬𝒇 = 𝟎. 𝟒 ∗ 𝟐𝟓𝟎 + 𝟎. 𝟔 ∗ 𝟑 = 𝟏𝟎𝟏. 𝟖𝑮𝑷𝒂

B
𝑻𝑺𝒄 = 𝑽𝒎 ∗ 𝑻𝑺𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇 ∗ 𝑻𝑺𝒇 = 𝟎. 𝟒 ∗ 𝟐. 𝟓 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟑 + 𝟎. 𝟔 ∗ 𝟓𝟓 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑𝟑𝑴𝑷𝒂

Question 3
a) In an aligned and continuous glass fiber-reinforced nylon
6,6 composite,the fibers are to carry 96% of a load applied
in the longitudinal direction.
- Using the data provided, determine the volume fraction of fibers
thatwill be required.
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- What will be the tensile strength of this composite? Assume that

thematrix stress at fiber failure is 35 MPa.
Tensile Strength Modulus of Elasticity /GPa
Glass fiber 3200 72.5
Nylon 6,6 80 3.0

Sol
𝑭𝒇 𝑽𝒇 ∗ 𝑬 𝒇 𝟎. 𝟗𝟔 𝟕𝟐. 𝟓 ∗ 𝑽𝒇
= = =
𝑭𝒎 ሺ𝟏 − 𝑽𝒇 ሻ ∗ 𝑬𝒎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒 𝟑 ∗ ሺ𝟏 − 𝑽𝒇 ሻ
𝑽𝒇 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗𝟖 𝑽𝒎 = 𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗𝟖 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎𝟐
𝝈𝒄 = 𝑽𝒎 ∗ 𝝈𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇 ∗ 𝝈𝒇 = 𝟑𝟓 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎𝟐 + 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗𝟖 = 𝟏𝟔𝟏𝟏. 𝟏𝟕𝑴𝑷𝒂

B) For a polymer-matrix fiber-reinforced composite:

- List the functions of the matrix phase.

(A) To bind the fibers together so that the applied stress is distributed
among the fibers.
(B) To protect the surface of the fibers from the environment.
(C) To separate the fibers and inhibit crack propagation.
- Compare the desired mechanical characteristics of matrix and
fiber phases.
The matrix phase must be ductile and is usually relatively soft, whereas
the fiber phase must be stiff and strong.
- Cite two reasons why there must be a strong bond between fiber
andmatrix at their interface.
(A) Maximize the stress transmittance between matrix and fiber phases.
(B) Minimize fiber pull-out, and the probability of failure.
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Question 4

1) In the figure shown above, there is pulled out fibers from the matrix, suggest reasons
for this behavior in Terms of strength
When fibers are pulled out from a composite material matrix, it suggests
several potential reasons related to the strength properties:
a) Matrix Degradation: The matrix material may have degraded over time
due to environmental factors such as moisture, temperature fluctuations,
or chemical exposure. This degradation weakens the bond between the
fibers and the matrix, making it easier for the fibers to be pulled out.
b) Improper Manufacturing Process: Errors during the manufacturing
process, such as insufficient compaction or curing, can lead to voids or
defects within the composite material. These defects can act as stress
concentration points, facilitating fiber pull-out.
c) Brittle Matrix: If the matrix material is too brittle, it may crack or
fracture under stress, leading to fiber pull-out. Brittle matrices cannot
effectively transfer load between fibers, causing them to detach from the
matrix.
d) Excessive Stress Concentrations: Regions of high stress concentration
within the composite structure can cause localized failure, including fiber
pull-out. This could be due to design flaws, manufacturing defects, or
improper loading conditions
Much more energy is absorbed if the fibers pull out. The fiber pull-out
force is F = τ* π D x
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where τ * is the shear strength of the fiber–matrix interface. Fibers will

pull out if τ*π D x is less than the force to break the fibers, σ* π D2/4. The
critical pullout distance, x*, corresponds to the two forces being equal, x*
= ሺσ*/τ*ሻD/4
2) How can this behavior be minimized or eliminated, suggest solutions.
- Optimize Matrix Selection: Choose a matrix material with
compatible pg. 11 properties to the fibers, ensuring good
adhesion and load transfer. This may involve selecting a matrix
with a suitable modulus, toughness, and thermal expansion
coefficient to match the fibers.
- Reduce Stress Concentrations: Design the composite structure
to minimize stress concentrations by optimizing the geometry,
thickness, and layup configuration. Reinforce critical areas with
additional plies or inserts to distribute load more evenly across
the composite.
- Change depths and inclination angles

Question 5
Which of the following statements is correct?

(A)
The tensile strength and elastic modulus of the fibers are very high in the
composite structure
(B) In composite structures, the tensile strength of the fiber is higher than the tensile
strength of the matrix(e.g., resin)
(C) The specific strength of composite is lower than that of aluminum alloy
(D) The specific modulus of composite is lower than that of aluminum alloy
2) Which of the following four
statements is correct?
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(A) The designability of composite

materials is poor

(B)
The composite material has good vibration damping performance
(C) Composite material has bad fail-safe performance
(D) Composite is a kind of ductile material
3) According to the matrix material, which of the following statements is not the
classification of compositematerials.
(A) Metal matrix composite
(B) Resin matrix composite
(C) Ceramic matrix composite

(D)
Boron fiber composite
4) Refering to the instrument detection method to detect the damage of composite
materials. Which of thefollowing statements does not belong to that.
(A) Ultrasonic testing

(B)
Thermography technology testing
(C) X light detection
(D) Raman detection
5) Which of the following four statements about the function of the interfaces in
composite materials iscorrect.
(A) It just bonds the matrix with the reinforcement together

(B)
It can transfer overall load from the matrix to the reinforcement
(C) The performance of the composite is always improved
(D) The performance of the composite is always reduced
6) Which of the two experiments are used to evaluate the sensitivity of composite
laminates to structuraldefects / damage (except impact damage).
(A) Open hole tension and open hole compression
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(B) Inter-laminar shear and open hole compression

(C) Tensile test and compression test

(D)
Open hole tension and bending test
7) What is the most critical performance index when composite materials are designed
to build the aircraftwing skin?
(A) Tensile performance (B) Compression performance and shear strength

(B) Vibration Damping performance (D) Inter-laminar shear strength

8) Using the materials with higher specific modulus and specific strength to product the
components, whichmeans

(A)
the smaller the weight and the greater the stiffness
(B) the higher the weight and the greater the stiffness
(C) the smaller the weight and the smaller the stiffness
(D) the smaller the weight and the smaller the stiffness
9) Compared with ordinary particle reinforced composite materials, in the condition of
same volume contentof the particles, the nano particle reinforced materials show
(A) Lower cost
(B) Better tensile performance
(C) More widely available raw materials
(D) Better processability
10) Which of the following statement is correct about
the epoxy resins?
(A) Containing a large number of double bonds
(B) Using initiator during curing process
(C) Using amine curing agent during curing process

(D)
Belong to the thermoset material

Multiple-choice question
1) Which of the following statements about metal matrix composite is correct?
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(A) High melting point and heavy metal are used as matrix
(B) Compared to the base metal or alloy, it shows worse plasticity and toughness.

(C)
Higher working temperature than base metal or alloy
(D) The modulus of elasticity is lower than that of base metal or alloy
2) Which statements about longitudinal tensile modulus of unidirectional fiber reinforced
MMC are correct?

(A)
The tensile modulus increases with the increase of fiber volume content
(B) It has nothing to do with the volume content of fiber, but is related to the modulus of
fiber and matrix
(C) It is similar to the transverse tensile modulus
(D) It is related with the modulus of the matrix
3) Which statements about pultrusion are correct?
(A) It is a low labor intensity and high efficiency FRP production method
(B) It is suitable for large products with complex shape

(C)
It is suitable for products with constant cross-section profile
(D) Less equipment investment
4) The mechanical properties of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are affected by
moisture absorption,the reason are

(A)
Epoxy resin become brittle after moisture absorption
(B) Water acts as plasticizer and reduces the glass transition temperature of resin
(C) Fiber strength will decrease after moisture absorption
(D) It would destroy the interface between fiber and matrix
5) The main raw materials for producing carbon fiber are

(A) Pitch (B) Polyacrylonitrile (C) polyethylene (D) Rayon

True or false questions

1) Glass fiber reinforced thermosetting resin composite is easy cutting material (T).
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2) Carbon fiber has better heat resistance and corrosion resistance, and has high mechanical
properties, also iseasy to manufacture. It has become an increasingly important material

in the field of civil aviation(T).

3) Thermoplastic resin matrix composites have high elastic modulus and good heat
resistance(F).
4) From the perspective of technology, the methods of repairing composite materials

mainly includeadhesively bonding and mechanical connection. (T).

5) Autoclave molding is one of the earliest technologies used in aerospace composite material
manufacturing. (T)
6) The cost of vacuum bag/autoclave molding process is higher. It is the main forming

method of high qualitycomposite components in aircraft structures. (T)

7) Autoclave can monitor the temperature and pressure during curing, but can't monitor

the degree ofvacuum. (F)

8) The resin matrix composite has good chemical stability for atmosphere and water,

as well as ordinaryconcentration of acid, alkali, salt and so on. (F)

9) A chemical reaction takes place between the matrix and the reinforcing material,

and compounds areformed at the interface so that the two can be combined. (F)
10) On Boeing 787 "dreamliner" aircraft, composite material consumption is about fifty
percent. (F)

Completion
1. The matrixes commonly used in composite materials include metal, ceramic,
polymer.
2. The expression of maximum normal stress criterion is failure theory
(fracture).
3. Delamination failure modes of composite laminates include opening mode, in
plane shear mode, sliding shear mode.

4. The commonly used theoretical models for predicting fatigue life of composite
laminates are stiffness distribution theory, strength degradation
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theory, uncertainty and Bayesian based probabilistic theory.

5. The composite materials exhibit apparent viscoelasticity at normal temperature.
This phenomenon isknown as viscoelastic.
6. The main connection types of composite material includes mechanical
connections, bonded connections, combination of mechanical and
bonded connections.
7. The heat resistance, aging resistance and flame retardancy performance of
the composites mainlydepend on the properties of the Matrix material.

8. The commonly used composite molding processes include open face

molding, pultrusion, matched die.

9. Nondestructive testing methods for composite structures mainly include
ultrasonic ultrasonic, X-ray, Raman spectroscopy
10. The expression of Tsai Hill failure criterion is phenomenological material
failure theory.
Question 6
Calculate the volume fraction fiber in the several composites described below:
A. Maximum possible fiber fraction for uni-directionally aligned
cylindrical fiberswith negligible spacing between. [Assume a
hexagonal array.]

In a hexagonal array, the maximum packing efficiency is achieved when

the fibers are arranged in a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure.
Packing efficiency = (Volume occupied by spheres) / (Total volume of the
container) ≃0.9069
B. Maximum possible fiber fraction for uni-directionally

aligned cylindrical fibersof diameter 100 μm with 10-μm-

thick coating. [Assume a hexagonal array.]
Considering the addition of a coating around each fiber, the effective
diameter would be the sum of the original fiber diameter and twice the
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coating thickness (since the coating is applied uniformly around the fiber).
So, 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝁𝒎 + 𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝝁𝒎 = 𝟏𝟐𝟎𝝁𝒎
𝝅 𝑫 𝝅 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟐
Volume fraction = ሺ ሻ𝟐 = ∗ሺ ሻ = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟐𝟗𝟖
𝟐√𝟑 𝑺 𝟐√𝟑 𝟏𝟐𝟎
C. Maximum possible fiber fraction for alternating layers of
uni-directionallyaligned fibers as shown in Figure below.
In a circular array, the maximum packing efficiency is achieved when
the fibers.
𝝅 𝑫
Volume fraction = ሺ ሻ𝟐 ∶ 𝑺 = 𝑫 + 𝒕
𝟐√𝟑 𝑺

D. Maximum possible fiber fraction alternating layers of

uni-directionally alignedfibers of diameter 100 μm
coated with 10-μm-thick coating as shown in Figure
below.

Considering the addition of a coating around each fiber, the effective

diameter would be the sum of the original fiber diameter and the coating
thickness (since the coating is applied uniformly around the fiber). So,
𝑺 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝁𝒎 + 𝟏𝟎𝝁𝒎 = 𝟏𝟏𝟎𝝁𝒎
𝝅 𝑫 𝝅 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟐
Volume fraction = ሺ ሻ𝟐 = ∗ሺ ሻ = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟒𝟗
𝟐√𝟑 𝑺 𝟐√𝟑 𝟏𝟏𝟎