Description
Book Synopsis This is a book about composite materials, written from the perspective of someone who has been in the industry for more than four decades and had to learn about them the hard way. Aimed at the curious citizen scientist or maker, it is written in an accessible, entertaining, and jargon-free style, introducing and explaining the how and why of composite materials.
Following a history of composites, the book discusses the periodic table of elements and why getting to know this table is so important. It then introduces strings (fibers) and glues (matrices or resins) and explains how they''re put together, how to design with them, and how to analyze what you''ve designed. The work also describes the composites business and includes a list of good schools and their involvement with industry.
Trade Review“If you are a student of materials you will love this book.” - Mark Miodownik, director, Institute of Making, University College London
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Foreword by Michael Santare
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. A Brief History of Composites
- 2. Composites and the Periodic Table of the Elements
- Protons, Neutrons, Nucleus of an Atom, Electrons, Atomic Number, Electron Orbitals, Valence Electrons—What Are These Things?
- Carbon
- Silicon
- Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen—Elements That Make Up the Glue
- 3. Composite Fibers—the String
- Carbon Fiber
- Graphite
- Glass Fiber
- Other Fiber Types
- Aramid Fibers
- Other Organic Fibers
- Boron Fiber
- Silicon Carbide Fiber
- 4. The Glue—a.k.a. Composite Resins
- Phenolic Resins
- Polyester Resins
- Vinyl Ester Resins
- Epoxy Resins
- Other Epoxies
- Epoxy Curing Agents
- Thermoplastic Resins
- 5. Making Something Out of Composites
- String and Glue Product Forms
- Composite Molding Processes
- Hand Layup and Open Molding
- Closed Molding Processes
- Filament Winding of Composites
- Pultrusion
- 6. Brief Introduction to the Mechanics of Composites, Ply Stacks, Unidirectional vs. Fabric
- Mechanical Properties of Fibers
- Mechanical Properties of Resins
- Calculating the Mechanical Properties of a Single Ply
- Mechanical Properties of a Ply of Fabric
- Brief Introduction to the Effective Properties of a Laminate
- About Allowable Stresses and Strains
- Thicker Laminates and the Stiffness Matrix
- 7. Designing Something Using Composites
- Where to Start—a Good Set of Requirements
- What to Do—Makeup of a Composite Design
- What to Do with This? Some Examples
- Towed Vertically Directive Source—Ten Pounds in a Five-Pound Sack
- Composite Reinforced Natural Gas Pipeline—Can't Do This with Steel
- NDE Calibration Blocks—How Do You Tell If It's a Crack or Delamination or Just a Ply Drop? Or Maybe Your NDE Instrument Had a Bad Day?
- Carbon Fiber Bicycle Frames—Go Faster, Win the Tour de France
- 8. Failure—How and Why Composites Break and How to Avoid It
- Microscopic Composite Failure Types (Modes) and Mechanisms—How and Why
- Fiber Failure
- Resin or Matrix Failure
- Fiber-Matrix Debonding
- Macroscopic Composite Failure—It's All About the Interfaces
- Bonded Joint Failure
- Bolted Connection Failures
- Delamination and Ply Peeling Failures
- Failure Initiation at Ply Drops and Section Thickness Changes
- Failure Prediction—How to Avoid Disaster
- Bulk Composite Failure Prediction
- Fracture Mechanics and Composites
- 9. Computer Based Tools for Composites—3D Models and FEA
- Stand Alone Tools for Composites Design and Analysis
- ESP Composites
- AnalySwift
- CDS: Composite Design Software—University of Delaware
- Digimat—e-Xstream
- Fibersim—Siemens
- Helius: MCT
- CompoSIDE
- Composites and Major Engineering Simulation Programs
- Abaqus—Dassault Systèmes Simulia
- Ansys Composite PrepPost
- MSC Nastran/Patran
- Femap/NX Nastran
- Solidworks—Dassault Systèmes
- 10. Other Types of Composites
- Discontinuously Reinforced Composites—Chopped Fibers and Particles
- Plastic Matrix Discontinuous Composites
- Metal Matrix Discontinuous Composites
- Non-Plastic Matrix Continuous Fiber Composites
- 11. The Business of Composites
- String Supply Business
- Glass Fiber Business, Market, and Future
- Carbon Fiber Business, Market, and Future
- Aramid Fiber Business, Market, and Future
- Polyethylene and Polyester Fiber Business, Market, and Future
- Glue Supply Business
- Polyester and Vinyl Ester Resin Business, Market, and Future
- Epoxy Resin Business, Market, and Future
- Phenolic Resin Business, Market, and Future
- Composite Design and Fabrication Business
- 12. Jobs and Schools in Composites
- Getting a Job in Composites Without a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Getting a Job in Composites with a BS in Mechanical Engineering
- Good Composites Universities
- University of Delaware's Center for Composite Materials
- Northwestern University
- MIT
- Georgia Tech
- Stanford
- UC Berkeley
- UCLA
- UT Austin
- Rice University
- Penn State
- University of Washington
- 13. Final Thoughts
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
