MAT6430   Polymer Fibre Composite Materials   (15 credits)

Description

This course is split into two halves, the first half deals with composite materials, the second half deals with composite micromechanics. The composite materials part of the course starts with an introduction to composite materials, what are composites, why are composites used and the distinction between man-made and natural composites. This is followed by looking at the different types of composites available. Next, the individual fibres are discussed (glass, carbon, polymeric) and the available matrices (thermoplastic, thermosetting). Manufacturing of composites is dealt with followed by a look at fibre architectures, failure mechanisms, impact failure and toughening. The composite micromechanics part of the course describes multiple methods to predict the properties of composite materials, beginning with a look at fibre failure statistics using the Weibull method. This is followed by a treatment of classical laminate theory from a laminate compliance perspective and how to predict the properties of short fibre composites using shear lag theory. Finally, the strength of composites and composite fatigue are investigated.

Reading List