MECA-H-406 Composite structures - Exercises 1: solutions

Exercise 1
The longitudinal Young’s modulus, EL , is given by the rule of mixtures :

EL = Vf .Ef + Vm .Em [P a] (1)

where Vf and Vm are the volume fractions of the fibers and of the matrix, and Ef and Em
are their respective Young’s moduli.

The transverse Young’s modulus, ET , can be approximated by the Halpin-Tsaı̈ model :

1 + ξηVf (Ef /Em ) − 1

ET = Em . [P a] ; where η = (2)
1 − ηVf (Ef /Em ) + ξ
where ξ=2 for fibers with a circular cross-section.

Based on this, one obtains the results below.

Material η [/] Vf [/] EL [GPa] ET [GPa]

0.20 16.8 5.7
glass - epoxy 0.864 0.45 33.4 10.2
0.60 43.4 14.8

0.20 72.8 6.0

carbon - epoxy 0.971 0.45 159.4 11.6
0.60 211.4 18.1

0.20 32.2 5.9

Kevlar - epoxy 0.932 0.45 68.1 11.1
0.60 89.6 16.8

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Exercise 2
As demonstrated in the course [slides 2-4 of part 2, eq.(3.21) of the reference book], the
portion of the total load carried by the fibers is given by

Pf Ef /Em
= (3)
Pc Ef /Em + Vm /Vf

The corresponding curves as a function of Vf are plotted in Fig.1. Because of their high stiff-
ness, the fibers are able to carry a large portion of the total load ; in terms of load, the larger
Ef /Em , the more efficient the fibers for a given value of Vf . This, combined to the fact that
the fibers generally have ultimate tensile strengths, σf u , much larger than that of the matrix,
allows choosing Vf so as to also increase the ultimate tensile strength of the composite (slide
6 of part 2 - Fig.3.7 of the reference book).

The demonstration of eq.(3) is left as a good exercise.

0.9

0.8 carbon-epoxy
Ef / Em = 100
0.7

glass-epoxy
0.6
Ef / Em = 20
P f / P c [/]

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1
Fiber volume fraction Vf [/]
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Figure 1 – Portion of the total load carried by the fibers for different materials.

2
Exercise 3
We consider the same load case as in exercise 2. It can been shown that

σmu − (σm )²∗ σmu − (σm )²∗

f f
Vmin = [/] and Vcrit = [/] (4)
σf u + σmu − (σm )²∗ σf u − (σm )²∗
f f

where σmu and σf u are respectively the ultimate tensile stresses of the matrix and of the fiber
and (σm )²∗ is the stress carried by the matrix when the fibers break (this implies brittle fibers
f
that break before the matrix).

We start by computing ²∗f for case (a) :

σf u
²f u = = 0.01 , (5)
Ef
σmu
²mu = = 0.015 . (6)
Em

Hence, the fibers will break first (i.e. for a smaller strain) so we can use eq.(4) with

²∗f = 0.01 ⇒ (σm )²∗ = Em .²∗f = 35M P a . (7)

f

The same procedure is applied for the other cases and one obtains the results below.

Material ²∗f [/] (σm )²∗ [MPa] Vmin [/] Vcrit [/]
f

glass - epoxy 1e-2 35.0 2.4e-2 2.6e-2

carbon - epoxy 2e-3 7.0 6.1e-2 6.6e-2
boron - epoxy 7e-3 25.1 9.7e-3 9.9e-3

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Exercise 4
1. Reference : glass fibers - epoxy

We have to compute the ultimate tensile strength of the composite material, σcu . To do so,
we must first determine what will be its behavior with respect to failure as a function of Vf0
(the exponent 0 denotes the parameters of the reference case), as explained in exercise 3.

Using the results above, in this case again the fibers break first and we have
²∗f = 0.01 ⇒ (σm )²∗ = Em .²∗f = 35M P a . (8)
f

Therefore, using eq.(4), we find

0 0
Vmin = 2.44e-2 and Vcrit = 2.6e-2 , (9)

The following condition must be satisfied :

Vm0 /Vf0 = 3 , (10)

which, combined with the definition of the volume fractions, Vf0 + Vm0 = 1, leads to
Vf0 = 0.25 ⇒ 0
Vmin < Vf0 , (11)

hence the matrix cannot support the load alone so σcu is given by
0
¡ ¢
σcu = σf u .Vf0 + (σm )²∗ . 1 − Vf0 = 201.25 MPa . (12)
f

2. Carbon & glass fibers - epoxy

We want to determine VfC ; the problem is governed by the following equations :

VfC + VfG + Vm = 1 , (13)

Vm /VfG = 3 , (14)

1 0
σcu > σcu . (15)

The C and G indices denote the carbon and glass fibers respectively. Again, we have to
determine what equation must be used for the computation of σcu . From the results of exercise
3, we have
²∗f = 0.002 , (16)

meaning that the carbon fibers will break first.

4
We now choose to consider the glass-epoxy composite as the new matrix material, obeying
1 = σ 0 = 201.25 MPa. We can then
eq.(14) and with a ultimate tensile strength given by σmu cu
compute its longitudinal Young’s modulus, E 1 , and the stress when the carbon fibers break,
¡ 1¢ mL
σm ²∗ :
f

1
¡ 1¢
EmL = 0.25.EfG + 0.75.Em = 20.125 GPa and 1
σm ²∗ = EmL .²∗f = 40.25MPa . (17)
f

By definition, Vcrit gives the minimum volume fraction of the (carbon) fibers to be added
to the (glass fibers-epoxy) matrix so that the (carbon & glass fibers-epoxy) composite has a
higher ultimate strength than the initial (glass fibers-epoxy) matrix. This is achieved for
1 − σ1
¡ ¢
σmu m ²∗
VfC ≥ Vcrit = C 1
f
= 0.244 . (18)
σf u − (σm )²∗
f

Alternative approach : as VfC must ensure condition (15), we have implicitely

VfC ≥ Vcrit > Vmin , (19)

so the ultimate stress of the newly formed composite is given by

1
¡ ¢
σcu = σfCu .VfC + σfG ²∗ .VfG + (σm )²∗ .Vm ≥ σcu
0
, (20)
f f

¡ ¢ 1¡ ¢ ¡ ¢ 3¡ ¢
σfCu .VfC + EfG .²∗f . 1 − VfC + Em .²∗f . 1 − VfC ≥ σcu
0
. (21)
4 4
where we have used the fact that the carbon fibers break first, the definition of the stresses
and eq.(13) and (14). By solving eq.(21), one finds the corresponding value VfC ≥ 0.244.

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Exercise 5
(a) Using the rule of mixtures, the longitudinal Young’s modulus of the reference glass-epoxy
composite is given by
EL0 = Vf0 .EfG + Vm .Em = 0.65.EfG + 0.35.Em = 46.725 GPa . (22)

We want to obtain EL1 = 2.EL0 by adding carbon fibers while maintaining Vm = 0.35 ; hence,

EL1 = VfC .EfC + VfG .EfG + Vm .Em = VfC .EfC + (0.65 − VfC ).EfG + Vm .Em = 93.45 GPa , (23)

which is satisfied for VfC = 0.167 (i.e. VfG = 0.483).

(b) The density of each composite is given by the rule of mixtures. We obtain
ρ1 VfC .ρC G G
f + Vf .ρf + Vm .ρm
= = 0.943 , (24)
ρ0 Vf0 .ρG
f + Vm .ρm

hence the new composite is 5.7% lighter than the reference one.

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(c) According to exercise 4, for the reference composite, we have

²∗f = 0.01 ⇒ (σm )²∗ = Em .²∗f = 35M P a , (25)

f

and
Vf0 = 0.65 > Vmin
0
= 2.44e − 2 . (26)

Therefore, the ultimate tensile strength of the reference glass-epoxy composite is given by
0
¡ ¢
σcu = σf u .Vf0 + (σm )²∗ . 1 − Vf0 = 467.25 MPa . (27)
f

In the new composite including carbon fibers, as shown in exercise 4, the carbon fibers will
break first for ²∗f = ²C
f u = 0.002. Thus if we now consider the glass-epoxy composite as the
new matrix material, we can compute 1
¡ 1 ¢ its longitudinal Young’s modulus, EmL , and the stress
when the carbon fibers break, σm ²∗ . For this computation, it should be noted that the
f
actual volume fraction of the glass fibers and of the epoxy in the ”composite matrix” are
given by (0.483/0.833)=0.58 and (0.35/0.833)=0.42 respectively (this differs from exercise 4
where the raio glass/epoxy was a constant).

1
¡ 1¢
EmL = EfG .0.58 + Em .0.42 = 42.07 GPa and 1
σm ²∗ = EmL .²∗f = 84.14MPa . (28)
f

Similarly, we have to compute the ultimate strength of the composite matrix alone, σmu 1 ,

considering that the glass fibers break first for ²∗f = 0.01, and that Vmin
0 = 2.44e − 2 < 0.58 :
1
σmu = σf u .0.58 + (σm )²∗ .0.42 = 420.7MPa . (29)
f

1
We can now determine Vmin :
¡ ¢
1 − σ1
σmu m ²∗
1 f
Vmin = = 0.325 . (30)
σfCu + σmu
1 − (σ 1 ) ∗
m ² f

So as VfC < Vmin

1 , the addition of the carbon fibers actually weakens the new composite and

1 1
σcu = σmu .(1 − VfC ) = 350.4MPa . (31)

However, the condition VfC < Vmin also means that the glass-epoxy ”matrix” is strong enough
to support the load when the carbon fibers break, so there is still a safety margin with respect
to the total failure of the material (breaking of the glass fibers).