Smart Structures

Professor Mohammed Rabius Sunny

Department of Aerospace Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Week 06
Lecture No: 35
Mechanics of FRP Composite Laminate Numerical Examples (continued)
Part 06

In this lecture, we will look into some numerical examples related to composites. So, here,
there is one problem which is related to a composite ply and the ply is as usual
unidirectional for our case. It contains 60 percent by volume of carbon fibers. The
properties of carbon fiber is given and there is epoxy matrix. The properties of epoxy is
given. We have to find out the longitudinal elastic modulus and tensile strength.

So, the given data is - we have Vf is equal to 0.6, 60 percent as given. So, Vₘ which is 1
minus Vf is equal to 0.4 and our goal is to find out the elastic modulus E1 of the composite.
So, as we know, the equation is E1f multiplied by Vf plus Eₘ multiplied by Vₘ, E1f is given
to us. So, 294 multiplied by 0.6 and Eₘ is given to us, 3.6 multiplied by 0.4 and the entire
thing in GPa and finally, the value comes to be 177.84 GPa.

Now, we have to find out the tensile strength, which means, what is the stress this ply can
bear. Now, here if we keep increasing the stress. So, as we looked at before. Suppose there
is fiber and matrix, if we keep increasing the stress, our strain remains same for both fiber
and matrix and accordingly, based on their elastic modulus, they are stressed. So, when we
keep loading it, either the matrix or fiber will fail first and whatever fails first, accordingly
that determines the tensile strength of this material or the tensile stress of the composite
during failure.

Now, we know that, we know the ultimate tensile stress in the fiber and its corresponding
Young’s modulus. So, the ultimate tensile strain is - for the fiber, ultimate tensile strain is
sigma1fu divided by E1f.

Now, sigma₁fᵤ we know 5.6 GPa and E1f is 29.4 GPa, and that gives the value to be 0.01905.
So, that is the amount of strain it can bear, the fiber. Similarly, the ultimate tensile strain
of the matrix is sigmaₘᵤ divided by Eₘ and sigmaₘᵤ, we know it is 105 Mega Pascal and
the elastic modulus is 3.6 Giga Pascal. So, if we divide it, the value that we get is 0.0292.

So, we can see that the fiber material reaches its ultimate strain first. So, if we keep loading
it, the fiber would fail first. So, during failure, the strain in fiber would be 0.01905. So, in
the strain in the matrix would also be 0.01905. Now, when the strain in the fiber is 0.01905,
the stress is 5.6 GPa, but the stress in the matrix is not in the ultimate stress, rather it is
0.1905 multiplied by the elastic modulus. So, if we want to find out the stress in matrix
during failure of fiber. So, you may want to call it epsilonₘ, let us we call it epsilonₘ star
and at that time the stress is 0.01905 multiplied by 3.6 and that in Giga Pascal. And stress
in fiber during failure is epsilon1f, if we call it epsilon₁f star that is equal to epsilon₁fu and
that is equal to 5.6 GPa. So, finally, the tensile strength of the ply is - if the stress in the
matrix is sigmaₘ star. So, its contribution to the tensile strength, it is just sigmaₘ star
multiplied by 0.4 and then for the fiber part, we multiply that with 0.6 and the final value
that we get is 3.3874 Giga Pascal.

(Refer Slide Time: 7:45)

Now, let us look into another problem.

Here we are supposed to evaluate the transverse modulus, E₂ of a composite ply. If the
properties given are - E₂f, the transverse elastic modulus of the fiber is 14.8 GPa, Eₘ is 3.45
GPa, nuₘ is 0.36 and Vf is 0.65.

Now to do this, first we need to find out Eₘ star and Eₘ star is Eₘ by 1 minus nuₘ square.
So, 3.45 GPa by 1 minus 0.36 square and that gives Eₘ star as 3.964 GPa. And then E₂, we
can have as it is and Vf is given to be 0.65. So, Vₘ is 1 minus Vf, which is 0.35. Then we
can find out our elastic modulus in the transverse direction, which we get from this relation,
1 by E₂ is equal to Vₘ by Eₘ prime plus Vf by E₂f and then, after solving this equation, E₂
is found to be 7.56 GPa.

Now we need to find the same thing using the Holpensie relationship. To use the Holpensie
relationship, we need a factor called eta and eta₁ is found as E₂f minus Eₘ by E₂f plus xiₘ
multiplied by Eₘ. Now let us use the xi₁ to be 1. So, if we put this numbers here, if we put
xi1 is equal to 1 finally, the value of eta comes to be 0.622. Now, if we use the Holpensie
relationship, where eta is there, then E₂ comes to be Eₘ multiplied by 1 plus xi₁ eta₁ Vf
divided by 1 minus xi₁, sorry, 1 minus eta₁ into Vf. And then, if we put all these numbers
finally, the value comes to be 8.133 Giga Pascal. So, we can see that there is some
difference between the experimentally obtained value and the sorry, the value that we
obtained from the rule of mixture based equation and the Holpensie equation.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:14)

The next problem is - there is a glass epoxy specimen, the weight of which is 0.98 gram
and it was burned and after burning, the matrix burns out and what remains is the fiber, the
weight of the remaining fiber was found to be 0.49 gram. Now the densities of glass and
epoxy are given, we have to find out the density of the composite in the absence of void
and then it says that if the density of the composite is little different and is given 1.5 gram
per milliliter which is obtained experimentally, then what is the void fraction?

So, if the experimentally obtained density is less than what we get analytically, that means,
there is some void which is causing the less density and we have to find out the void
fraction.

Now, here we are given the weight of the fiber. So, if we divide the weight of the fiber by
the density, we will get the volume of the fiber which we can denote as small vf. So, volume
of the fiber is 0.49 divided by 2.4 and that would give us: that is in milliliter and that would
give us the volume of the fiber.
Now, we know the total weight of that composite which is 0.98 gram and we know the
volume of the fiber. So, if we multiply the volume of the fiber with the density of the fiber
that gives us the weight of the fiber that is fine and that we already know. Now if we take
the volume of the matrix which is unknown to us and if we keep that as an unknown. So,
if we take that volume and multiply it by the density of the matrix and then we get the
weight of the matrix. And the weight of the matrix and weight of the fiber gives the total
weight of the composite. So, in this entire equation our only unknown is the volume of the
matrix which we can solve by find by solving this equation.

So, total weight of the specimen is equal to 0.98 gram and that we can find out by - we
already know the weight of the fiber which is 0.49 gram plus if we take the volume of the
matrix in milliliter and if we multiply the volume of the matrix with the density of the
matrix. So, that gives us the total weight of the specimen which is this. So, we can solve
it and find out Vₘ. So, Vₘ is 0.98 minus 0.49 and the entire thing divided by 1.2 and that
will come in milliliter. So, we know the total volume of the fiber, we know the volume of
the matrix now. So, the total volume of the specimen, which we can call as V and that is
equal to Vf plus Vₘ, which is now known to me and from here density of the composite
can be found out which we can call rho. So, it is total weight of the composite which is
0.98 and divided by the total volume of the composite and that will come in gram per
milliliter because these volumes are in milliliter and this weight is in gram. So, from there
we can find out the final density of the composite and here, this comes to be 1.6 gram per
milliliter.

Now, the question is our theoretically obtained density is little higher than what is
experimentally obtained and the reason behind this difference is the presence of voids. So,
the void volume fraction can be found as rhocₜ, which means theoretically obtained density
minus rhocₑ which is the experimentally obtained density divided by rhocₜ and then it comes
to be 0.0625. So, rhocₜ is our 1.6 gram per milliliter, and rhocₑ the experimentally obtained
density is 1.4 gram per milliliter.

(Refer Slide Time: 16:58)

Now, this problem involves finding out the reduced stiffness matrix in both the principal
material direction, and 1 2 directions. We have been given the properties like E₁, E₂, E₆,
nu₁₂ and we know the ply angles: 0 degree, 90 degree, 45 degree and minus 45 degree. So,
we have to find out the Q matrix in the 1 2 system and in the x y system if the triangles are
this.

Now, to do this, we need to first find out nu₂₁. So, we already have nu₁₂ and we know the
relation between nu₂₁ and nu₁₂, and that is E₂ multiplied by nu₁₂ divided by E₁. So, if we
do that, the value that comes is 0.0207. So, we can see that there is significant difference
between nu₂₁ and nu₁₂. Now, we have to find out the constituents of the Q matrix in the
material direction. So, we have Q₁₁, and Q₁₁ is E₁ minus nu₁₂ nu₂₁ and that gives us the value
to be 145.75 GPa. Then we have Q₂₂, and Q₂₂ is E₂ by 1 minus nu₁₂ nu₂₁ and the value is
12.06 GPa. And then we have Q₁₂ is equal to Q₂₁ and this we can write as nu₁₂ E₂ by 1
minus nu₁₂ nu₂₁ or also we can write nu₂₁ E₁ by 1 minus nu₁₂ nu₂₁. And the value comes to
be 3.016 GPa. And then we have Q₆₆ and this is E₆ and that is - as given it is 6 GPa. So,
the terms like E₁₆ sorry, Q₁₆ Q₂₆ are absent here. So, there is no coupling between the shear
and the normal components. So, these are Q matrix in the principal material direction.

Now, we have to find out this Q matrix for different fibre orientations. So, if you talk about
a 0 degree ply. So, in a 0 degree ply would look like this. So, here the fibre as oriented in
the global x direction only. So, here system 1 2 axis and x y axis, they are same here. So,
there is no difference between the Q matrix with respect to x y and Q matrix with respect
to 1 2. So, we can write here Q with respect to x y system for 0 degree orientation is just
the Q matrix that we get for the material direction. So, it is 145.75 3.016 0 and then, here
we have 3.016 12.06 0, 0 0 6 and that is in GPa. And then, if the fibres are oriented suppose
in 90 degrees. So, in this case these are x axis as well as our axis 2 is in this direction. So,
as well as it is same as axis 2 just in opposite sense and here, we have y axis and axis 1.
So, here we can say that, the properties can be found out easily from here. Now, because
our fibres are oriented in y direction here, so, Q₁₁ would be just Qᵧᵧ and similarly, Q₂₂ would
be Qₓₓ. So, without even having to do any transformation, we can find out the properties
here. So, 12.06 now goes for Qₓₓ, then 3.016, 3.016 and then 145.75, then 0 0 6 in GPa. So,
that is for 90 degree.

(Refer Slide Time: 22:29)

Now, we have to find it out for the 45 degree orientation. So, we know, for orientation
theta, that can be found out by applying some transformation. So, to do that the equation
looks like this. So, we can put all 2s here and the expression is T inverse multiplied by Q
in the 1 2 system multiplied by T. Where our T is the transformation matrix, which is m
square, n square, 2mn; n square, m square, minus 2mn; and then we have minus mn, mn,
m square minus n square, where m is equal to cosine theta, and n is equal to sine theta. So,
we can find it out for any theta. So, this is the equation. So, we can do the transformation
and all these elements are found out. Then finally, in the Q matrix, we have Qₓₓ, Qₓᵧ and
Qₓₛ. So, this factors of putting 2 and then getting it removed, this was all because of we
are defining 2 kinds of shears, one is engineering shear, one is tensorial shear and then we
can apply this formula, and get our Qs. So, if we apply theta is equal to 45, the matrix
comes to be 46.96 34.94 33.40 and then we have 34.94 46.96 and again 33.40, and the
matrix is symmetric. So, we get the other properties.

Now, here this angle of orientation is 45 degree. So, which is just between 0 and 90. So,
that is why you are getting Qₓₓ and Qᵧᵧ to be same, Qₓₛ and Qᵧₛ to be same, but for any other
orientation like 30 40 60, we would not get this, we can get these properties different, but
because it is 45 degree, we are getting this to be same. If we apply the similar
transformation, considering it to be minus 45, then it is this. Our Qₛₛ changes. So, these are
the values of Q matrix that we get for different types of, I mean different fiber orientations.

(Refer Slide Time: 27:45)

Now let us see, if we make a laminate using these plies with different fibers of orientation,
how the laminate properties look like, how the A B D matrix look like?

So, let us assume that our fiber laminate orientation is this: 45, minus 45, minus 45, 45.
So, if you want to find out the A matrix. So, it would look like this first of all. So, there
are 4 layers and let us assume that each layer has a thickness of 0.5 millimeter. So, this is
z is equal to 0, this is z is equal to minus 1, this is z is equal to minus 0.5, and all are in
millimeter. This is z is equal to 0.5 millimeter, this is z is equal to 1 millimeter.

Now, we want to find out the A matrix, we know that the A matrix is k is equal to 1 to n,
number of layers. And then, Q matrix in the x y system for the kth layer multiplied by zₖ
minus zₖ ₘᵢₙᵤₛ ₁. So, what we are doing is, we are just taking Q and integrating over each
layer and adding it up. So, we can call this as z₀, this as z₁, z₂, z₃, z₄ and n in our case is
equal to 4. So, finally, if we add this up. So, in this case because thicknesses are same, it
is nothing but adding up all the Q matrix and finally, multiplied by the thickness of each
ply. So, finally, after doing it, after putting all the numerical values, the A matrix comes to
be this, that is in GPa millimeter. Now, we want to find out the B matrix. The B matrix in
this case would be 0, because it is symmetric. We can do it also and see it.
Now, let us find out the D matrix. And to find out D matrix what we do is: we take k is
equal to 1 to n and Q matrix of the kth layer multiplied by zₖ cube minus zₖ ₘᵢₙᵤₛ ₁ cube by
3. And then, after putting all the values, what we get is this 31.307, 23.293, 16.7; 23.293,
31.307, 16.7 then, we have 16.7, 16.7, 25.287 and that is in GPa millimeter cube. So, here
this matrix is symmetric. And because it is symmetric, we have B matrix as 0, and apart
from that this matrix is balanced also. So, we can see that number of 45 is two and number
of minus 45 is two and that makes Aₓₛ and Aᵧₛ as 0, but this laminate is not antisymmetric
and because it is not antisymmetric, we do not have these two components as 0.

(Refer Slide Time: 32:36)

So, with this I would conclude this lecture here.

Thank you.