APPLICATION & MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES

1. PRESENTED BY:
ASHRAF ALI
DEPARTMENT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
NEHU,SHILLONG

2. Composite Materials
Classification of composites
Polymer & Polymer matrix composite
Classification of Polymers
Fibers in PMCs
Polymer Processing
Applications Of PMCs
Limitations of PMC

3.  Made from two or more constituent materials
1. Materials having significantly different physical or
chemical properties.
2. Produced material have different characteristics from
the individual components.

5.  POLYMER :
A large molecule (macromolecule) composed of repeating
structural units (monomer) typically connected by covalent
chemical bonds.

6. POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITE (PMC):
 Consisting of a polymer (resin) matrix and fiber.
 Very popular due to their low cost and simple fabrication methods.
CLASSIFICATION OF POLYMERS:

7. THERMOSETTING POLYMERS: Extensive cross linking
formed by covalent bonds
 High Thermal stability.
 High dimensional stability.
 Low weight.
 High rigidity.
 Can not be recycled due to its heavy covalent bonds.
 THERMOPLASTICS: No chemical linking between individual
molecules.
 Molecules are bonded by weak
 secondary bonds like Van der walls bonds and hydrogen.
 Parts can be made and joined by heating.
 Can be remolded, and recycled.
 Better toughness and impact resistance than thermosets.

8. VARIOUS FORMS:
 Discontinuous (chopped)
 Continuous or woven as a fabric
FIBERS USED:
 Principal fiber materials in FRPs are glass, carbon, and Kevlar
49.
 Less common fibers include boron, SiC, Al2O3 and steel.
 Glass (in particular E glass) is the most common fiber material‑
in today's FRPs; its use to reinforce plastics dates from around
1920.

9. FORMING PROCESSES FOR THERMOSETTING
MATRIX COMPOSITES:
 Pultrusion.
 Resin transfer molding.
 Hand layup and spray up techniques.
 Filament winding.
 Autoclave molding.
FORMING PROCESSES FOR THERMOPLASTIC
MATRIX COMPOSITES:
 Injection molding.
 Diaphragm forming.
 Film stacking.
 Thermoplastic tape laying.

10. PULTRUSION:
Pultrusion is a process where composite parts are
manufactured by pulling layers of fibers/fabrics, bathed with
resin, through a heated die, thus forming the desired cross
sectional shape with no length limitation.
PULTRUSION PROCESS:
Fibers are pulled from a set of fiber creels and through a
resin bath. It then pass through a performer which gives it
required cross sectional shape. The F & C dies finalize the
required shape & remove excess resin & cure the composite so
that it can be cut into required length.

12.  POTENTIAL PROBLEMS:
 Improper fiber wet-out
 Fiber breakage
 Die jamming
 Complex die design
 APPLICATIONS:
 Uses as Panels, Beams, Ladders
 Tool Handles,
 Electrical Insulators,
 Light poles, Hand rails, Roll-up doors etc

13.  In the RTM process, dry reinforcement is pre-shaped and
oriented into skeleton of the actual part known as the preform
which is inserted into a heated matched die mold .
 The heated mold is closed and the liquid resin is injected.
 The part is cured in mold.
 Finally mold is opened and part is removed from mold.

14. ADVANTAGES:
 Large complex shapes and curvatures can be made easily.
 High level of automation.
 Simpler than in manual operations.
 Takes less time to produce.
 Low volatile emission
 Cost effective.
 Low skill labor required
DISADVANTAGES:
 Mold design is complex.
 Requires Mold-filling Analysis.
 Fiber reinforcement may Move during resin transfer.

15. APPLICATION:
 Wind Turbine blade.
 Ship body.
 Car body.
 Truck panel.

16. INJECTION MOLDING:
 Closed Mold process
 Polymer is Mixed with very short reinforcing fibers (10- 40%)
 Polymer-fiber mixture in form of pellets is fed through a hopper.
 The material is then conveyed forward by a feeding screw and
forced into a split mold, filling its cavity through a feeding
system with sprue gate and runners.

17.  Reciprocating screw since it not only rotates but also moves
forward and backward according to the steps of the molding
cycle.
 It acts as a ram in the filling step.
 Then retracts backward in the molding step.
 Heating elements, placed over the barrel, soften and melt the
polymer.
 The mold is equipped with a cooling system providing controlled
cooling and solidification of the material.
ADVANTAGES:
 Process can be fully automated
 High productivity & quality
 Price less low

18.  Diaphragm forming uses sheets of reusable silicon as a carrier
for Thermopreg fabrics between a heating section and a forming
section.
 Process needs very low air pressure.
 Inserting Thermopreg fabrics between two silicon sheets.

19.  Silicon/Thermopreg sandwich is placed in the hot platen
equipment until it reaches a temperature of 210 ºC
 Then its placed over forming machine and vacuum is created in
the lower site & pressed from upper site
 Transfer the forming unit and apply positive air below 100 ºC.
ADVANTAGES:
 Components with double curvatures can be formed.
 Compliant diaphragm do the job for simple components.

20.  AEROSPACE AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT:
The primary matrix materials used in aerospace applications
are epoxies, and the most common reinforcements are
carbon/graphite, aramid (e.g. Kevlar), and high-stiffness glass
fibers. Compared with metals, the principal advantages of
advanced composites in aerospace applications are their
superior specific strength and stiffness, resulting in weight
savings of 10 to 60 percent over metal designs.
 AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY:
The principal motivation for introducing PMCs is cost
savings .Because the industry is mature and highly competitive.
Because of greatly improved corrosion resistance PMC
automobiles could last 20 or more years compared to the
current average vehicle lifetime.

21.  CONSTRUCTION:
A potentially high-volume market for PMCs lies in
construction applications especially in.. Construction of
Buildings, Bridges, Housing, Lampposts, Smokestacks,
Highway, culverts.
 MEDICAL DEVICES:
The impact of PMCs on orthopedic devices such as Hips,
Knees, bone plates, intramedullary nails is expected to be
especially significant.

22.  Good in plane stiffness and strength.
 Low density.
 Relatively low cost.
 Corrosion resistance.
 Low coefficient of thermal expansion.
 Relatively mature technology.
 Excellent in-service experience.

23.  Low maximum working temperature.
 Sensitivity to radiation and moisture.
 Processing temperature are generally higher than
those with thermosets.
 Required special processing equipment.
 Thermoset resins have poor impact resistance.

24. In 21st century we are in need of light but
stronger materials. From automobile to aerospace,
medical , military technology and even in household
we need heavy duty, corrosion resistant material.
Here comes the composites with all those
specifications. And day by day the field of composite
materials is getting stronger. Among all the
composites Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC) have
a strong place due to its specialization.

25. THANK YOU