UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

LAHORE NEW CAMPUS

TOPIC :
FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIAL

JUNAID MEHBOOB

SUBMITTED BY: 2018-CH-269

SECTION A

SUBMITTED TO: SIR SULAIMAN

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING UET LAHORE

(NEW CAMPUS)
 ABSTRACT

DEFINATION:
A fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) is a composite building
material that consists of three components:

1. the fibers as the discontinuous or dispersed phase,

2. the matrix as the continuous phase, and
3. the fine interphase region, also known as the interface.
This is a type of advanced composite group, which makes use of rice husk, rice hull,
and plastic as ingredients. This technology involves a method of refining, blending,
and compounding natural fibers from cellulosic waste streams to form a high-
strength fiber composite material in a polymer matrix. The designated waste or base
raw materials used in this instance are those of waste thermoplastics and various
categories of cellulosic waste including rice husk and saw dust.

INTRODUCTION:
Rapid growth in manufacturing industries has led to
the need for the betterment of materials in terms of strength, stiffness, density, and
lower cost with improved sustainability. Composite materials have emerged as one
of the materials possessing such betterment in properties serving their potential in a
variety of applications.Composite materials are an amalgamation of two or more
constituents, one of which is present in the matrix phase, and another one could be
in particle or fiber form. The utilization of natural or synthetic fibers in the
fabrication of composite materials has revealed significant applications in a variety
of fields such as construction, mechanical, automobile, aerospace, biomedical, and
marine [5–8].
Research studies from the past two decades have presented composites as an
alternative over many conventional materials as there is a significant enhancement
in the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of fiber-reinforced
composite (FRC) material. Though composite materials succeeded in increasing the
durability of the material, currently a strong concern regarding the accumulation of
plastic waste in the environment has arisen .This concern has compelled researchers
around the world to develop environmentally friendly materials associated with
cleaner manufacturing processes. Several different composite recycling processes
also have been developed to cope with the thousands of tons of composite waste
generated in a year. Mechanical recycling includes pulverization, where decreased
sized recyclates are being used as filler materials for sheet molding compounds. In
thermal recycling, degradation of composite waste by pyrolysis is done or an
enormous amount of heat energy is obtained by burning composite materials with a
high calorific value. There also exist more efficient processes such as chemical
recycling (solvolysis) and high-voltage fragmentation (HVF). The addition of
natural fillers such as natural fibers, cellulose nanocrystals, and nanofibrillated
cellulose in the polymers matrix to fabricate eco-friendly composites has improved
material properties while minimizing the problem regarding residue accumulation.
Many researchers have reported advantages of cellulosic fibers, such as being
abundantly available in nature, nontoxic, renewable, cost-effective, and also
providing necessary bonding with the cement-based matrix for significant
enhancements in properties such as ductility, toughness, flexural capacity, and
impact resistance of a material . In modern techniques, inclusion of fly ash, limestone
powder, brick powder, and many other mineral additives are used to strengthen the
composite structures. Fracture toughness has been enhanced with the addition of fly
ash in a concrete composite for structural applications resulting in increased lifespan
of the material . Natural fibers are mainly classified as fibers that are plant-based,
animal-based, and mineral-based. As the asbestos content in the mineral-based fibers
is hazardous to human health, these are not well-explored fibers with respect to
research into fiber-reinforced composite materials, while plant-based fibers provide
promising characteristics such as lower cost, biodegradable nature, availability, and
good physical and mechanical properties . Plant fibers include leaf fibers (sisal and
abaca), bast fibers (flax, jute, hemp, ramie, and kenaf), grass and reed fibers (rice
husk), core fibers (hemp, jute, and kenaf), seed fibers (cotton, kapok, and coir), and
all other types, which may include wood and roots. Polymer matrices are also
divided into a natural matrix and a synthetic matrix, which is petrochemical-based
and includes polyester, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and epoxy . The
latest research contributes the development of hybrid composites with the
combination of natural and synthetic fibers. The composite structures consisting of
more than one type of fiber are defined as hybrid composites. There are methods to
combine these fibers, which involve stacking layers of fibers, the intermingling of
fibers, mixing two types of fibers in the same layer making interplay hybrid,
selective placement of fiber where it is needed for better force, and placing each
fiber according to specific orientation . Among all these, stacking of fibers is the
easiest procedure, and others introduce some complications in obtaining a positive
hybridization effect. Many researchers got success by developing optimized
composite materials for efficient use in particular applications by varying fiber
content, its orientation, size, or manufacturing processes. It is necessary to
understand the physical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of FRCs for
their effective application. FRCs are currently being employed in copious fields of
applications due to their significant mechanical properties. These composite
materials sometimes depart from their designed specifications as some defects, such
as manufacturing defects, cause them to deviate from the expected enhancement in
mechanical properties. These manufacturing defects involve misalignment,
waviness, and sometimes breakage of fibers, fiber/matrix debonding, delamination,
and formation of voids in the matrix of a composite material. An increase of 1%
voids content in composites and leads to a decrease in tensile strength (10–20%),
flexural strength (10%), and interlaminar shear strength (5–10%), respectively. It
can be eradicated by manipulating the processing parameters of manufacturing
processes .
Therefore, there is a need to understand and study different types of composite
manufacturing techniques to implement optimized techniques that will avoid defects
and give apposite self-sustaining, durable composite material that is efficient for the
desired field of application. There are many conventional manufacturing techniques
for fabrication of a composite material that have been in practice for the past few
decades and some of the recently developed automated composite manufacturing
techniques use robot assistance for processing, which leads to complete automation
and an immense rise in productivity .

CLASSIFICATION:
Composite materials are classified according to their
content, i.e., base material and filler material. The base material, which binds or
holds the filler material in structures, is termed as a matrix or a binder material, while
filler material is present in the form of sheets, fragments, particles, fibers, or
whiskers of natural or synthetic material. As represented in Figure 1, composites are
classified into three main categories based on their structure . Polymers 2019, 11, x
FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 39 Therefore, there is a need to understand and study
different types of composite manufacturing techniques to implement optimized
techniques that will avoid defects and give apposite selfsustaining, durable
composite material that is efficient for the desired field of application. There are
many conventional manufacturing techniques for fabrication of a composite material
that have been in practice for the past few decades and some of the recently
developed automated composite manufacturing techniques use robot assistance for
processing, which leads to complete automation and an immense rise in productivity
. 2. Classification Composite materials are classified according to their content, i.e.,
base material and filler material. The base material, which binds or holds the filler
material in structures, is termed as a matrix or a binder material, while filler material
is present in the form of sheets, fragments, particles, fibers, or whiskers of natural or
synthetic material. As represented in Figure 1, composites are classified into three
main categories based on their structure .

Composites consist of fibers in the matrix structure and

can be classified according to fiber length. Composites with long fiber
reinforcements are termed as continuous fiber reinforcement composites, while
composites with short fiber reinforcements are termed as discontinuous fiber
reinforcement composites. Hybrid fiber-reinforced composites are those where two
or more types of fibers are reinforced in a single matrix structure . Fibers can be
placed unidirectionally or bidirectionally in the matrix structure of continuous fiber
composites, and they take loads from the matrix to the fiber in a very easy and
effective way. Discontinuous fibers must have sufficient length for effective load
transfer and to restrain the growth of cracks from avoiding material failure in the
case of brittle matrices. The arrangement and orientation of fibers define the
properties and structural behavior of composite material . Improvement in properties
such as impact toughness and fatigue strength can be seen with the use of chemically
treated natural fibers. Fibers of glass, carbon, basalt, and aramid in the dispersed
phase were conventionally used in the matrix structure of a fiber-reinforced polymer
(FRP) composite materials . Significant properties of natural fiber polymer
composites (NFPCs) have potential applications in the modern industry, as
researchers currently are compelled towards the development of environmentally
friendly materials due to stringent environmental laws.

MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES:

 CONVENTIONAL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

Prepregs are a combination of fibers and uncured

resin, which are pre-impregnated with thermoplastic or a thermoset resin
material that only needs the temperature to be activated. These prepregs are
ready-to-use materials where the readily impregnated layers are cut and laid
down into the open mold . Dow Automotive Systems has developed
VORAFUSE, a technique that combines epoxy resin with carbon fiber for
prepreg applications to improve material handling and cycle time in the
compression molding of composite structures. Working in collaboration with
a variety of automotive companies, they have achieved significant weight
reduction, which results in efficient manufacturing of CFRP composite
structures . Figure 3 shows the hand lay-up, which is the most common and
widely used open mold composite manufacturing process. Initially, fiber
preforms are placed in a mold where a thin layer of antiadhesive coat is
applied for easy extraction. The resin material is poured or applied using a
brush on a reinforcement material. The roller is used to force the resin into the
fabrics to ensure an enhanced interaction between the successive layers of the
reinforcement and the matrix materials .
SPRAY-UP TECHNIQUE:
Spray-up technique is no different than hand lay-up.
However, it uses a handgun that sprays resin and chopped fibers on a mold.
Simultaneously, a roller is used to fuse these fibers into the matrix material. The
process is illustrated in Figure 4. It is an open mold type of technique, where chopped
fibers provide good conformability and quiet faster than hand lay-up .

VACCUME BAG MOLDING PROCESS:

Vacuum bag molding uses a flexible
film made of a material such as nylon polyethylene or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to
enclose and seal the part from the outside air. Many times, the vacuum bag molding
technique is performed with the assistance of the hand lay-up technique. Laminate
is first made by using the hand lay-up technique, and then after it is placed between
the vacuum bag and the mold to ensure fair infusion of fibers into the matrix material
. The air between the mold and the vacuum bag is then drawn out by a vacuum pump
while atmospheric pressure compresses the part. The process can be well understood
by Figure 5. Hierarchical composites were prepared with multiscale reinforcements
of carbon fibers using a vacuum bagging process, which eliminated chances of
detectable porosity and improper impregnation of dual reinforcements, with
increases in flexural and interlaminar shear properties by 15% and 18%,
respectively.
VACCUME INFUSION:
Vacuum infusion or vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is a recent
development, in which preform fibers are placed on a mold and a perforated tube is
positioned between vacuum bag and resin container. Vacuum force causes the resin
to be sucked through the perforated tubes over the fibers to consolidate the laminate
structure, as shown in Figure 7. This process leaves no room for excess air in the
composite structure, making it popular for manufacturing large objects like boat
hulls and wind turbine blades . For the improvement in the strength of textile
composites, natural fibers are surface treated. Alkali treated flax fiber-reinforced
epoxy acrylate resin composite fabricated using VARTM technique resulted in
improvement of tensile strength by 19.7% .
PROPERTIES OF FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITE :

WATER SORPTION:
Water sorption of a material includes both water adsorbed on
the surface and water absorbed into the body of the material during preparation and
while the material is in service. Poly (methyl methacrylate) absorbs water because
of the polarity of the water molecule and because it is smaller than the inter chain
distance in the polymer. The volume of water uptake by a polymeric material is
determined by polymer structure, content of various polar and hydrophilic groups in
the polymer structure, temperature, concentration of various additives, presence of
voids within the matrix, Physicochemical and mechanical properties can be affected
by absorbed water.

FLEXURE STRENGTH:
These materials are often tested in the laboratory,
although the mode of failure and many other properties affect clinical performance.
Investigators accentuate the importance of fatigue and fracture toughness in
predicting clinical performance of several classes of dental materials, including fibre
composites. It is important to note that test methods, procedures for preparing the
samples, and, in particular, the geometry of the test specimens all affect the
calculated flexure strength. Flexure strength for commercial laboratory– processed
fibre-reinforced composites may range from approximately 300 to 1,000 MPa,
depending on the specimen preparation and geometry.

FRACTURE TOUGHNESS:
The fracture toughness of a material reflects the
resistance of a material to fracture and represents the energy required to propagate a
crack through the material to complete fracture. Fracture toughness of polymer
composites depends on the type of polymer and reinforcement. Fracture toughness
of a monomethacrylate-based material is lower than in a dimethacrylate-based
material. Generally, “intrinsic” physical aging and/or storage in a humid
environment at elevated temperatures can decrease fracture toughness, as well as
other mechanical properties. However, an increase in fracture toughness can be
achieved by adding reinforcing fibres to a polymer to prevent or slow down crack
growth.
LINEAR COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION:
The variation of the coefficient of
thermal expansion between different materials is important because a mismatch can
lead to strains, resulting in stress formation and adverse effects on the interface.
Therefore, thermally induced strains and stresses adversely affect long-term stability
of intraoral multiphase materials. By adding fibres to a polymer, the coefficient of
thermal expansion decreases. In general, the thermal coefficient varies with the
direction of the fibres in a composite rigid fibres appear to prevent expansion of the
matrix in the longitudinal direction so the matrix is forced to expand in the transverse
direction. One of the major concerns in the development of dental materials is
physical and chemical durability

CONCLUSIONS:
Composite materials are divulging numerous
enhancements in distinct material properties since their invention in the last century.
Copious amounts of research efforts have been made to discover optimized material
to perform in a more effective way for desired applications. Over the past few
decades, reinforcements of fibers or particles in the matrix structure of composite
materials have revealed outstanding remarks, making them a popular choice for
topmost applications. Classifications of composite materials, along with the
properties of their constituent elements, have been studied to understand the
potentiality of different composite materials in various fields. Fiber-reinforced
composite material was found to be one of the most promising and effective types
of composites, as it claims dominance over the majority of applications from
topmost fields. There are numerous types of fibers available for fabrication of fiber-
reinforced composites; those are categorized as natural and synthetic fibers.
Synthetic fiber provide more stiffness, while natural fibers are cheap and
biodegradable, making them environmentally friendly. Though both types of fibers
have their efficacy in significant applications, latest research has revealed the
exceptional performance of hybrid fiber-reinforced composite materials, as they gain
the advantageous properties of both. Composite materials are fabricated with a
number of different techniques, among which every technique is applicable for
certain material. Effectiveness of manufacturing technique is dependent on the
combination of type and volume of matrix or fiber material used, as each material
possesses different physical properties, such as melting point, stiffness, tensile
strength, etc. Therefore, manufacturing techniques are defined as per the choice of
material. For distinct applications in a variety of fields, certain solitary materials
might be replaced with composite materials, depending on the enhancement in its
required property. Composite structures have shown improvement in strength and
stiffness of material, while the reduction in weight is magnificent. Composites have
also revealed some remarkable features such as resistance to impact, wear, corrosion,
and chemicals, but these properties are dependent upon the composition of the
material, type of fiber, and type of manufacturing technique employed to create it.
In accordance with the properties required, composite materials find their
applications in many desired fields. More future research is intended to discover new
composite structures with a combination of different variants and adopting new
manufacturing techniques.

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