TMM4175 Polymer Composites

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1. COMPOSITE MATERIALS¶

A composite material is, by a simple definition, one that consists of two or more materials. However, for this term to be useful and in line with the colloquial understanding of composites, we must impose some limitations as described in definitions and classifications.

Polymer composites consisting of fibers and polymer matrices are focused in the course, and some of the common arrangements of fiber reinforcements are described in terms of geometrical aspects and volume fractions.

Many terms and abbreviations are used, sometimes interchangeably, to define fiber composites, such as: Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP), Glass Reinforced Plastics (GRP), Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC), Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP). The basic relations between structure and properties are however identical for various types of fiber composites.

This part concludes with a brief overview of typical material properties for common composite materials.

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