Lecture 5: Composites
Instructor: Dr. Majid Khan
, Composites
ISSUES TO ADDRESS...
• What are the classes and types of composites?
• What are the advantages of using composite
materials?
• How do we predict the stiffness and strength of the
various types of composites?
, Composite
• Combination of two or more individual materials
Example: get flexibility & weight of a polymer plus the
strength of a ceramic
• Design goal: obtain a more desirable combination
of properties (principle of combined action)
• e.g., low density and high strength
• Principle of combined action
• Mixture gives “averaged” properties
• better property combinations are fashioned by the
• combination of 2 or more distinct materials.
3
Instructor: Dr. Majid Khan
, Composites
ISSUES TO ADDRESS...
• What are the classes and types of composites?
• What are the advantages of using composite
materials?
• How do we predict the stiffness and strength of the
various types of composites?
, Composite
• Combination of two or more individual materials
Example: get flexibility & weight of a polymer plus the
strength of a ceramic
• Design goal: obtain a more desirable combination
of properties (principle of combined action)
• e.g., low density and high strength
• Principle of combined action
• Mixture gives “averaged” properties
• better property combinations are fashioned by the
• combination of 2 or more distinct materials.
3
