THE ENGINEERING POTENTIAL OF FIBRE - REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS

A REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE ENGINEERING POTENTIAL OF FIBER-REINFORCED MATERIALS, WHICH ARE DEFINED AS MATERIALS DERIVED FROM CONVENTIONAL METALS AND RESINS TO WHICH HIGH STRENGTH FIBERS AND/OR WHISKERS HAVE BEEN ADDED. PRESENT STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DESIGN PARAMETERS ARE EVALUATED AS WELL AS COST EFFECTIVENESS AND A DESIGN PHILOSOPHY. APPLICATIONS REVIEWED INCLUDE AIRFRAMES, ENGINES, MISSILE DESIGN, UNDERWATER VEHICLE AND GENERAL ENGINEERING TOGETHER WITH FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY AND JOINTING PROBLEMS. COMPOSITE PROPERTIES AND THE PRINCIPLES OF FIBER-REINFORCEMENT ARE REVIEWED FROM A KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONSTITUENT PROPERTIES OF THE FIBER AND MATRIX AND ALSO FROM A KNOWLEDGE OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN THEORY. THE TWO AREAS ARE RELATED BY A MECHANICAL CONITUITIVE EQUATION OF A FORM SIMILAR TO THE GENERALIZED HOOKE'S LAW. THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES ARE REVIEWED: ELASTIC, TENSILE, COMPRESSIVE, AND TOUGHNESS. DESIGN CONCEPTS ARE PRESENTED OF HOW COMPOSITE MATERIAL PROPERTIES ARE USED IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN THEORY AND TECHNIQUES REQUIRED WHEN USING THESE ANISOTROPIC STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES ARE ILLUSTRATED. THE FOLLOWING DESIGN CONCEPTS ARE REVIEWED: (1) STATIC STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS OF STRUCTURES AND ENGINE BLADES, (2) TEMPERATURE EFFECTS, (3) FRACTURE TOUGHNESS, (4) FATIGUE, (5) JOINING, AND (6) FABRICATION AND COSTS. HIGH STRENGTH FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS APPEAR PROMISING FOR THE USES DISCUSSED BECAUSE OF THEIR GREATLY IMPROVED SPECIFIC STRENGTH AND MODULUS OVER THE CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURAL MATERIALS. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS SUGGEST THAT COMPOSITE MATERIALS HAVE ENHANCED VALUES OF NOTCH TOUGHNESS, FATIGUE STRENGTH AND CREEP RESISTENCE WHICH WILL IMPROVE MATERIAL RELIABILITY. EFFECTIVE METHODS OF JOINING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PROVED, TOGETHER WITH FABRICATION TECHNIQUES WHICH ALLOW THE FINAL STRUCTURE TO BE FORMED FROM THE BASIC TAPE OR FILAMENT IN ONE OPERATION.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 41, No 7-8, PP 124-134, 22 FIG, 7 TAB, 52 REF
• Authors:
  • Gillin, L M
• Publication Date: 1969-7

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Institution Engineers J /Australia/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Composite materials; Compressive strength; Elasticity (Mechanics); Fibers; Metallurgy; Metals; Resins; Reviews; Structural members; Tensile properties; Toughness
• Old TRIS Terms: Fiber metallurgy
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00213440
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 9 1970 12:00AM