Smart Composites: Angel College of Engineering and Technology
Smart Composites: Angel College of Engineering and Technology
Smart Composites: Angel College of Engineering and Technology
SMART COMPOSITES
ABSTRACT:
Recently, the development of smart composites, has grown rapidly due to the
requirement of an increasing safety margin of all infrastructure, biomedical and
engineering (automotive, aerospace and marine) elements. The name ‘smart’ means that a
structure (or a material) should be able to respond to environmental changes or external
impacts to keep it in a safe condition, without substantially changing its original
functionalities. Research on SMS has been mainly focused on embedding tiny sensors
and actuators into advanced composite materials. The main reason is because advanced
composites have been widely adopted for building large life-concerned structures, like
airplanes (both Airbus A380 and Boeing 787). A large portion of their structures are
made by carbon and glass fiber composites. Most of the rotor blades of helicopters are
also made of advanced composites in order to reduce their weight and keep sufficient
strength to maintain their stiffness. However, these structures are subject to many
uncertain influences, such as excitation by unpredictable incoming wind with a frequency
close to the natural frequency of the structures, for example, blade–vortex interaction. As
a result, abnormal vibration and noise may be induced that is severely harmful to the
structures. In this special issue, several types of smart composites and devices that are
used for ensuring the safety of structures are introduced.
INTRODUCTION:
The name ‘smart’ means that a structure (or a material) should be able to respond to
environmental changes or external impacts to keep it in a safe condition, without
substantially changing its original functionalities. Smart composite materials can be
obtained by mixing the metal and polymer matrix with smart material and used for health
monotoring, active control and self-restroation of structural and functional materials.
Compared to smart materials, smart composite materials have many technical issues such as
uniform mixing, interfacial adhesion, and property characterization.
Carbon fibres
CARBON FIBRE:
Carbon fiber is a composite material most often found in race cars and expensive
supercars although like all advanced technology it is finding its way into more and more
vehicles. Despite it's expense and high-tech uses carbon fibre is relatively easy to work
with. The expense of carbon fibre is offset by it's amazing strength and extreme lightweight
properties. It is also extremely stiff and body stiffness plays an important part in
contributing to good handling, especially at high speeds.
APPLICATIONS:
Woven Fabric
Aircraft and aerospace
Automotive
Sports & recreational equipment
Marine
General engineering
Yarn/Fiber
Reinforcement composites and rubber
Filtration
GLASS FIBRE:
Glass fibres are made of silicon oxide with addition of small amounts of other
oxides.Glass fibres are characteristic for their high strength, good temperature and
corrosion resistance, and low price. There are two main types of glass fibres: E-glass and S-
glass.The first type is the most used, and takes its name from its good electrical properties.
The second type is very strong (S-glass), stiff, and temperature resistant.Used as reinforcing
materials in many sectors, e.g. automotive and naval industries, sport equipment etc. They
are produced by a spinning process, in which they are pulled out through a nozzle from
molten glass (thousands of meter/min).Glass fibres are very low cost. Their price for
weaved mats is about 15 DKK/kg.
Glass fibers are useful because of their high ratio of surface area to weight. However, the
increased surface area makes them much more susceptible to chemical attack. By trapping
air within them, blocks of glass fiber make good thermal insulation, with a thermal
conductivity of the order of 0.05 W/(m·K).[7]
The strength of glass is usually tested and reported for "virgin" or pristine fibers—those
which have just been manufactured. The freshest, thinnest fibers are the strongest because
the thinner fibers are more ductile. The more the surface is scratched, the less the
resulting tenacity.[5] Because glass has anamorphous structure, its properties are the same
along the fiber and across the fiber.[4] Humidity is an important factor in the tensile strength.
Moisture is easily adsorbed, and can worsen microscopic cracks and surface defects, and
lessen tenacity.
In contrast to carbon fiber, glass can undergo more elongation before it breaks.[4] There is a
correlation between bending diameter of the filament and the filament diameter. [8] The
viscosity of the molten glass is very important for manufacturing success. During drawing
(pulling of the glass to reduce fiber circumference), the viscosity should be relatively low.
If it is too high, the fiber will break during drawing. However, if it is too low, the glass will
form droplets rather than drawing out into fiber.
APPLICATIONS:
Woven Fabric
Automotive
Filtration
Reinforcement - plastic/rubber/cement
Thermal insulation
Printed circuit boards - electrical
Needlefelts
Aircraft and aerospace
Cushion material
Filtration
Thermal insulation and spacers
Acoustic insulation
ARAMID FIBRE:
Aramid fibres are known for their large hardness and resistance to penetration.
Thanks to their toughness aramid fibres are used where high impenetrability is required,
e.g. bulletproof vests, bike tyres, airplanes wings, and sport equipment.
These fibres are not as spread as glass or carbon fibres, mostly because of their cost,
high water absorption, and their difficult post-processing. They are produced from PPTA .
Immersed in a strong acid at -50 C, PPTA forms liquid crystals. The liquid is pulled
through a nozzle at 200 C: the acid evaporates and the crystals get oriented. Finally, the
fibres are stretch out at 500 C. Very high costly fibres. The price for weaved mats is about
400 DKK/kg. Tensile strength: ca. 3,600 MPa. The properties of aramid fibres depend on
the manufacturing conditions.
APPLICATIONS:
flame-resistant clothing.
heat protective clothing and helmets.
ropes and cables.
fiber reinforced concrete
FUTURE SCOPE:
CONCLUSION:
In the future, smart composite materials will be widely used as sensor and actuator for
the minimization and intelligence of product in the IT, automobile, space and military
industry. Especilally, MEMS/NEMS technology will be admitted as inevitable process for
fabrication. So, our research will be focussed on fabrication and characterization of smart
composite materials using MEMS/NEMS technology. We convince the smart composite
materials will change the concept of material design in the future.
REFERENCES:
www.smartcomposites.com
www.imhotepcomposites.co.uk
www.azom.com
www.informaworld.com
www.pecomposites.com
Masters J E, et al: Mechanical Properties of Triaxially Braided Composites:
Experimental and Analytical Results, Journal of Composites Technology and
Research, JCTRER, Vol 15, No 2, Summer 1993.
Roe P J and Ansell M P: Jute-reinforced Polyester Composites, J Mater Sci
1985; 20:4015-20.