MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Arif Sattar

PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION
A composite is something, which is made up from many parts, and this term could be applied to a wide range of engineering materials. These would include not only the metallic alloys, but also the most earliest of all composite materials used by man, wood (Trees consist of cellulose fibers which are bonded together by lignin (protein like substance). Brick, concrete, and glass are among the many other materials, which could be considered as composites. In the aerospace industry, the term composite is used when referring to materials, which, in turn, are a combination of fibrous and synthetic resin materials that provide many advantages by their great strength-to-weight ratios.

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION

(Contd)

Fibre reinforced composites are used in Aircraft construction and consist of strong fibre such as carbon or fibre, set in a base of plastic or epoxy resin (called MATRIX), which chemically and mechanically protects the fibre. Fibers take tensile load while resin take compressive load. Composite materials are to stay in terms of Next generation aircraft construction. 2XXX, 5XXX and 7XXX series Aluminum alloys and other metallic alloys are slowly and gradually being replaced by Composites. the main reason for utilising composite materials, in aerospace structures, is to reduce weight, which has a direct benefit in lowering operating costs. Composites also provide further benefits in their ability to be easily formed, resistance to corrosion and reduced maintenance costs.

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION

(Contd)

The principal types of composite materials are those involving fibrous elements which may be used as strands, or be woven into fine tapes and cloths (or coarser mats), held in a suitable resin matrix and formed into the required shapes. The most commonly used in aerospace industry are: Aramid Fibre Reinforce Plastic (AFRP) Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP)

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION

(Contd)

Matrix

Fibers

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION

(Contd)

Arif Sattar

PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION

(Contd)

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

ADVANTAGES OF COMPOSITES
High St/ wt ratio Ease of shaping Corrosion resistant Sonic damping Fuel saving

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

DISADVANTAGES OF COMPOSITES
High production cost High material cost Moisture absorption More repair time Less resistance to heat Health hazard

Arif Sattar

PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

ARAMID FIBRE REINFORCED PLASTIC

Aramid is one of the newer material and it is famous for its properties being high strength to weight ratio fibre. Kevlar is the brand name of Para-Aramids. It is formed by extruding the polymer through a die with very small holes, resulting fibres are joined into yarns which are woven into suitable structural fabrics. It is used at different applications the famous are Bulletproof vests, cables, ropes and others. The tensile strength of Kevlar is comparable with CFRP, whereas its stiffness is between CFRP and GRP. Kevlar has highest strength to weight ratio due to the fact that it is about 17% lighter than CFRP.
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ARAMID FIBRE REINFORCED PLASTIC

The Kevlar has some disadvantages. They are: 1. 2.

(Contd)

It is difficult to cut Kevlar composite cleanly with common tools, normally high pressure water is being used to cut down the Kevlar. Compressive strength is lower than tensile strength which is not case with its competitors(GRP and CFRP).

3.

If it is exposed to Ultra violet rays for longer period of time it will deteriorate. So therefore it is recommended to use suitable barrier.

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

GLASS FIBRE REINFORCED PLASTIC

The GFRP is also known as fibre glass or glass fibre. Good GFRP structure are stronger than mild steel on a strength for weight basis. The main reasons for using GFRP are: 1. 2. 3. 4. in instances where metal cannot be used (e.g. for radar domes or other non-electrical conducting applications) the ease and low cost of producing very complex shapes to provide good strength/weight ratio its ability to produce selected directional strength.

The main disadvantage of glass fibre is that it lacks stiffness and, as such, is not suitable for applications subject to high structural loadings.
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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED PLASTIC

The carbon fibre reinforced plastic (also referred to as Graphite) is one of the new and modern composite in the industry which is being widely accepted in the aviation world due to its tremendous strength to weight ratio. The Young Modulus E value of Carbon fibre is very high. CRFP is not only six times tougher but also 50% stronger the glass fibre, it has more strength and stiffness than high strength aluminium alloy. Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), is a very strong, light, and expensive composite material or fiber-reinforced polymer. Similar to fiberglass glass reinforced polymer, the CFRP is commonly referred to by the name of its reinforcing fiber (carbon fiber). The polymer is most often epoxy, but other polymers, such as polyester, vinyl ester or nylon, are also sometimes used.
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COMPOSITE MATERIALS

ANISOTROPY
A sheet of fibre reinforced material is anisotropic, - which means its properties depend on the direction of the fibres. Random direction fibres would result in a much lower strength than unidirectional fibres, laying parallel to the applied load. However, the strength (and stiffness) of a uni-directional lay-up would be very low, with the applied load at 90 to the fibres, as this is primarily a test of the resin (hence the usual practice of placing alternate layers at 90 to each other). Due to small variations in the size of the individual fibres, and the final quality of the finished component, there will, inevitably, be a greater scatter on final strength than on a conventional, metallic component. Due allowance on stress reserve factors is, therefore, essential.
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OTHER GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Composites usually have good internal damping characteristics and are less prone to vibration resonances. Where high strength, combined with stiffness is required, then a CFRP is used but, when lesser levels of stiffness are necessary, then GFRP or AFRP are used. Composites have very low elongation properties and toughness. The maximum operating temperatures, for GFRP, CFRP and Kevlar composites, depend, to some extent, on the actual adhesives used, but are, generally, in the range 220C-250C.

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

MATRIX MATERIALS
Bonding material that completely surrounds the fibers to give it strength. Matrix used with reinforcing the fiber is a liquid polymer usually referred to resin. In composite making the resins and fibers all mixed together in a fixed proportion. There are two types of thermoset used to make composites, Polyesters Epoxides

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
The structure of a reinforced fibre composite may be (i) laminated, (ii) sandwich, and (iii) monolithic.

Laminted Structure
Laminated plastics consist of layers of synthetic resin-impregnated fibres, which are bonded together (usually heated and under pressure), to form a single laminate or sheet of composite material. Plastic laminates are used in order to: provide a more durable surface to a softer (less expensive) material enhance the surface appearance (colour, smoothness etc.) increase the strength and rigidity of many non-metallic structures produce other desirable surface characteristics such as when acid- or corrosion- resistance, non-conductivity, non-magnetisability.
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COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE STRUCTURES (Contd)

Sandwich Structure
The sandwiched material (the core) may be made of a solid material, such as a series of thin corrugations of a material, which are joined and placed end-on (in the form of the cells of a honeycomb), within the laminates.

Monolithic Structure
In monolithic structures, angle sections such as I section, frames ribs and stringers are fashioned from similar materials to the outer layers of the sandwich structure, then covered with the appropriate surface skin, before the stronger, metallic spars and hinges are attached, Such a structure can save many kilograms (or pounds) in the weight of the flying control surfaces (or the fin structure) of a large aircraft.

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE INSPECTION
Visual Inspection
Visual inspection is the most frequently used inspection method in aviation. Ideally, pilots, ground crew and maintenance technicians visually inspect the aircraft on a daily basis. Where composite materials are concerned visual inspection is generally used to detect resin-rich areas, resin starvation, edge de-lamination, fiber breakage, cracks, blistering, and other types of surface irregularities.

A strong light and magnifying glass are useful tools for visual inspection.
Shining a strong light through the structure, called backlighting, helps in the identification of cracked or broken fibers, and, in some cases, delamination. The delaminated area may appear as a bubble, an indentation in the surface, or a change in color if viewed from the side opposite the light. However, backlighting does not detect entrapped water.
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COMPOSITE INSPECTION
Tap Test / Ring Test

(Contd)

This is one of the simplest methods used to detect damage in bonded parts.

The laminated part is tapped with a coin or small metallic object, such as a ring or a tap hammer to detect delamination. The tap test is an acoustic test, one in which you listen for sound differences in the part, and is not the most accurate test method. The tap test detects delaminations close to the surface in addition to transitions to different internal structures.
A properly prepared, undamaged laminated area produces a sharp, even pitch as compared to a delaminated area, which produces a dull sound.

Tap test should be limited to near surface inspection.

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE INSPECTION
Ultrasonic Inspection

(Contd)

Ultrasonic inspection is the most common instrumental NDT method used on composites today.

An ultrasonic tester is useful for detecting internal damage such as delaminations, core crush, and other subsurface defects.
Two common methods of ultrasonic testing are (i) Pulse echo, and (ii) Through transmission. In Pulse echo method, a transceiver (transmitter + receiver) is used and The echo patterns are displayed on an oscilloscope. An advantage to the pulse echo method is that it only requires access to one side of the structure. In Through transmission method, two transducers (one transmitter and the other receiver) on opposite sides are used; it is thus more efficient method.
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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE INSPECTION
Ultrasonic Inspection (Contd)

(Contd)

Arif Sattar

PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

COMPOSITE INSPECTION
Radiography

(Contd)

Radiography or x-ray inspection is used to detect differences in the thickness or physical density compared to the surrounding material of a composite. It can be used to detect surface as well as internal cracks. Radiography also detects entrapped water inside honeycomb core cells. In addition to detecting the actual defect, it can also detect the extent and size of the damage, unlike ultrasonic or tap testing. X-ray inspection will also detect foreign objects in the composite structure if the object's density is different from the composite structure.

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

TYPES OF REPAIR
The exact procedures for repair of various laminated composite structures depend partly on the type of damage incurred. The damage can range from a relatively simple surface scratch, to damage completely through all internal plies and core honeycomb material. There are four types of composite repairs: (i) Bolted metal (ii) Bonded (iii) Resin injection (iv) Laminating new repair plies to the damage

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

BASIC STEPS FOR COMPOSITE REPAIR

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Identify the type of repair, depth, size, and location on aircraft. Material preparation after checking the shelf life limits. Surface preparation Damage removal by the specific method, such as step cutting or scarf cutting Repair of the composite

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

WAYS OF DAMAGE REMOVAL

When preparing for a composite repair, the damaged area must be completely removed to provide a strong adhesion area. If damage has occurred to the core material of a sandwich structure, it must be removed prior to step cutting the laminate face sheets. Routers are routinely used to remove honeycomb core damage. In the case of laminated composite structures, step and scarf cutting are done to remove specific plies.

Routing
Routers are specially suited for repairing bonded honeycomb structures. Handheld routers spin the cutting blade 10,000-20,000 r.p.m.

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

WAYS OF DAMAGE REMOVAL

Step Cutting

(Contd)

To properly step cut a laminated structure, each successive layer of fiber and matrix must be removed without damaging the underlying layer. The proper amount of space for each step cut should be marked off by using the following procedures: (i) Outline the entire damaged area that must be cut out and removed (ii) Expand the repair radius (assuming the repair is circular) by half an inch for each ply that must be repaired.

(iii) Extend the radius by an additional one-inch if an overlap patch is called for Step cutting is accomplished by sanding away approximately one-half inch of each layer with tapering down to the center of the repair.
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COMPOSITE MATERIALS

WAYS OF DAMAGE REMOVAL

Scarf Cutting

(Contd)

Scarf cutting is used to remove damaged material with a tapered cutout. Dimensions of the scarf are based on the ratio of the total height of the plies to a given length.

The scarf should taper down to the center of the repair.

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PIA Training Centre

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

MECHANICALLY FASTENED REPAIR

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MATERIALS & HARDWARE

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

MECHANICALLY FASTENED REPAIR

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