Unidirectional Composites

UNIDIRECTIONAL
 A
COMPOSITE
unidirectional composite, which consists of
parallel fibers embedded in a
matrix, represents a basic building block for the construction of laminates or
multilayered composites.
 In this chapter the properties and behavior of unidirectional composites are
described.
σc
σc
Matrix, m
Fiber(s), f
σc
σc
Longitudinal Loading Transverse Loading
Nomenclature
 A unidirectional composite is shown schematically in Fig. 3.9.
 Several unidirectional layers can be stacked in a specified sequence of orientation to fabricate a
laminate that will meet design strength and stiffness requirements.
Fig.
(a) unidirectional 3.9 (b) multidirectional
lamina laminate
 A simple layer, ply, or Laminate
lamina
A unidirectional
composite
 shows different properties in the longitudinal and transverse
directions.
are orthotropic with the axes x1, x2, and x3 as the axes of
symmetry (Fig. 3.9).
Strongest properties in the longitudinal direction.
 material behavior in the other two

directions (x2, x3) is nearly identical.
 or ply can be considered to be
transversely isotropic; that is, it is
isotropic in the x2-x3 plane.
Volume and Weight Fractions
 Factors determining the properties of composites is the relative proportions of
 matrix and
 reinforcing materials.
 Consider a volume vc of a composite material that consists of volume vf of the fibers and
volume vm of the matrix material.
c=
= =
 To establish conversion relations between the weight fractions and the
volume fractions, the density ρc of the composite material must be
obtained.
 By similar manipulations, the density of composite materials in terms of

weight fractions can easily be obtained as
 Now the conversion between the weight fraction and volume fraction ca be
obtained by considering the definition of weight fraction and replacing I it
the weights by the products of density and volume as follows:
&
A composite material with only

 The inverse relations two constituents
are;
&
 For an arbitrary number of constituents. The generalized equations are:
 Theoretical density ≠ experimentally determined density.

Due to voids in the
composite.
 Volume fraction of voids Vv:
Where: V = the volume fraction of voids
 In an actual composite, the void content may be determined by following ASTM (American Society
for Testing and Materials) Standard D2734-94 (reapproved 2003).
Initial Stiffness
 A unidirectional composite may be modeled by assuming fibers to be uniform in properties

and diameter, continuous, and parallel throughout the composite (Fig. 3-3).
 It may be further assumed that a perfect bonding exists between the fibers and the matrix so
that no slippage can occur at the interface, and the strains experienced by the fiber, matrix, and
composite are equal:
ϵf = ϵm
 For this model, the = ϵPc
load c
carried by the composite is Pc = Pf +
shared between the fibers Pf and
the matrix Pm so that Pm
Model for predicting longitudinal behavior of unidirectional composites
 The loads Pc, Pf, and Pm carried by the composite, the fibers, and the matrix, respectively, may be
written as follows in terms of stresses σc, σf , and σm experienced by them and their corresponding
cross-sectional areas Ac, Af, and
P = Amσ
. Thus
A = σA+ σ A
c c c f f m m
σc = σf
Initial Stiffness
(Contd.)
 But for composites with parallel fibers, the ,volume fractions are equal to the area ,fractions such
that:
Vf= Vm =
 Thus,
σc= σfVf+ σm.V. m. . . . . . . . . . . (1)
 Now this Eq. can be differentiated with respect to strain, which is the same for the composite, the
fibers, and the matrix.
 The differentiation yields
= Vf + Vm . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2)
 Where () represents the slope of the corresponding stress-strain

diagrams at the given strain.
 If the stress-strain curves of the materials are linear, the slopes () are constants and can be replaced
by the corresponding elastic modulus in Eq. (2). Thus
Ec = .............
(3)
Initial Stiffness (Contd.)
 Equations (1)-(3) indicate that the contributions of the fibers and the matrix to the average
composite properties are proportional to their volume fractions. Such a relationship is called the rule
of mixtures.
 Equations (1) and (3) can be generalized
𝒏 as 𝒏
σ c =∑ σ 𝒊 V i E c= ∑ E 𝒊 V i
𝒊=𝟏 𝒊=𝟏
Example 3.1: Calculate the ratios of longitudinal modulus of the composite to the matrix modulus
for glass-epoxy and carbon-epoxy composites with 10% and 50% fibers by volume. Elastic moduli of
glass fibers, carbon fibers, and epoxy resin are 70, 350, and 3.5 GPa, respectively.
Solution:
quation (3) can be written as=+1
Calculations will give the following results:

Ec/Em
System (Ef/Em)  It may be observed that as the fiber
Vf = 10% Vm =50% volume fraction increases by a factor
of 5, the ratio of 𝐄𝐜/𝐄𝐦also increases
Glass-epoxy (20) 2.9 10.5
by a similar factor (3.62 for glass
Carbon-epoxy (100) 10.9 50.5
epoxy and 4.63 for carbon-epoxy).

Unidirectional Composites

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UNIDIRECTIONAL

 material behavior in the other two

 By similar manipulations, the density of composite materials in terms of

A composite material with only

 Theoretical density ≠ experimentally determined density.

 A unidirectional composite may be modeled by assuming fibers to be uniform in properties

 Where () represents the slope of the corresponding stress-strain

Calculations will give the following results:

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