Reinforcement particulate-reinforced

Composites can be classified into three groups according to the forms of reinforcement particulate-reinforced, fiber-reinforced, and laminate composites (see Fig. 15.1). A reinforcement is considered to be a particle if all of its dimensions are similar particles can have spherical, platelet, or any regular or irregular geometric form. Particles, usually referred to as fillers, are in some cases added to polymers to reduce costs rather than to reinforce them. Fiber-reinforced composites contain fibers whose lengths are much greater than their cross-sectional dimensions. When the properties vary with... 

Reinforcements that have been used for CMCs include continuous fibers, discontinuous fibers, whiskers, and particles. Key continuous fibers used in CMCs include carbon, silicon carbide-based, alumina-based, alumina-boiia-sihca, quartz, and alkah-resistant glass. Steel wires are also used. Discontinuous CMC fibers are primarily silica based. Silicon carbide is the key whisker reinforcement. Particulate reinforcements include silicon carbide, zirconium carbide, hafnium carbide, hafnium diboiide, and zirconium diboride. 

Fig. 14. Reinforcement and crack tip kiteractions ki a particulate composite (a) coarse particles ki a strong particle—matrix kiterface, and (b) fine particles ki...

Directed Oxidation of a Molten Metal. Directed oxidation of a molten metal or the Lanxide process (45,68,91) involves the reaction of a molten metal with a gaseous oxidant, eg, A1 with O2 in air, to form a porous three-dimensional oxide that grows outward from the metal/ceramic surface. The process proceeds via capillary action as the molten metal wicks into open pore channels in the oxide scale growth. Reinforced ceramic matrix composites can be formed by positioning inert filler materials, eg, fibers, whiskers, and/or particulates, in the path of the oxide scale growth. The resultant composite is comprised of both interconnected metal and ceramic. Typically 5—30 vol % metal remains after processing. The composite product maintains many of the desirable properties of a ceramic however, the presence of the metal serves to increase the fracture toughness of the composite. 

Particulate Composites. These composites encompass a wide range of materials. As the word particulate suggests, the reinforcing phase is often spherical or at least has dimensions of similar order ia all directions. Examples are concrete, filled polymers (18), soHd rocket propellants, and metal and ceramic particles ia metal matrices (1). 

Sohd rocket propellants represent a very special case of a particulate composite ia which inorganic propellant particles, about 75% by volume, are bound ia an organic matrix such as polyurethane. An essential requirement is that the composite be uniform to promote a steady burning reaction (1). Further examples of particulate composites are those with metal matrices and iaclude cermets, which consist of ceramic particles ia a metal matrix, and dispersion hardened alloys, ia which the particles may be metal oxides or intermetallic compounds with smaller diameters and lower volume fractions than those ia cermets (1). The general nature of particulate reinforcement is such that the resulting composite material is macroscopicaHy isotropic. 

Subscripts denote reinforcement morphology p = particulate, 1 = platelet, w = whisker, f = fiber, i = interlayer between reinforcement and matrix. Strength as measured in a four-point flexure test (modulus of mpture) to convert MPa to psi, multiply by 145. 

Creep Resistsince. Studies on creep resistance of particulate reinforced composites seem to indicate that such composites are less creep resistant than are monolithic matrices. Silicon nitride reinforced with 40 vol % TiN has been found to have a higher creep rate and a reduced creep strength compared to that of unreinforced silicon nitride. Further reduction in properties have been observed with an increase in the volume fraction of particles and a decrease in the particle size (20). Similar results have been found for SiC particulate reinforced silicon nitride (64). Poor creep behavior has been attributed to the presence of glassy phases in the composite, and removal of these from the microstmcture may improve the high temperature mechanical properties (64). 

In contrast to the particulate-reinforced composites, all other reinforcement morphologies appear to provide enhanced creep resistance. The creep... 

Small organisms frequently become embedded within corrosion products and deposits. The organisms may make up a sizable fraction of the deposit and corrosion product. Seed hairs and other small fibers often blow into cooling towers, where they are transported into heat exchangers. The fibers stick to surfaces, acting like sieves by straining particulate matter from the water. Deposit mounds form, reinforced by the fibers (see Case History 11.5). 

Particulate fillers are divided into two types, inert fillers and reinforcing fillers. The term inert filler is something of a misnomer as many properties may be affected by incorporation of such a filler. For example, in a plasticised PVC compound the addition of an inert filler will reduce die swell on extrusion, increase modulus and hardness, may provide a white base for colouring, improve electrical insulation properties and reduce tackiness. Inert fillers will also usually substantially reduce the cost of the compound. Amongst the fillers used are calcium carbonates, china clay, talc, and barium sulphate. For normal uses such fillers should be quite insoluble in any liquids with which the polymer compound is liable to come into contact. 

Commercial grades of polymer may contain, in addition to glass fibre, fire retardants, impact modifiers and particulate reinforcing fillers. Carbon fibre may be used as an alternative to glass fibre. 

Particulate Reinforced Metals Via Pressure Infiltration" J. Mat. Sci., July, 1990. 

Numerous multiphase composite materials exhibit more than one characteristic of the various classes, fibrous, laminated, or particulate composite materials, just discussed. For example, reinforced concrete is both particulate (because the concrete is composed of gravel in a cement-paste binder) and fibrous (because of the steel reinforcement). 

The mechanics of materials approach to the micromechanics of material stiffnesses is discussed in Section 3.2. There, simple approximations to the engineering constants E., E2, arid orthotropic material are introduced. In Section 3.3, the elasticity approach to the micromechanics of material stiffnesses is addressed. Bounding techniques, exact solutions, the concept of contiguity, and the Halpin-Tsai approximate equations are all examined. Next, the various approaches to prediction of stiffness are compared in Section 3.4 with experimental data for both particulate composite materials and fiber-reinforced composite materials. Parallel to the study of the micromechanics of material stiffnesses is the micromechanics of material strengths which is introduced in Section 3.5. There, mechanics of materials predictions of tensile and compressive strengths are described. 

For particulate-reinforced composite materials, Paul derived upper and lower bounds on the composite modulus [3-4]. His approximate mechanics of materials solution agrees fairly well with experimental data for tungsten carbide particles in cobalt. 

B.Q. Han, K.C. Chan, T.M. Yue, and W.S. Lau, "A Theoretical Model for High-Strain-Rate Superplastic Behavior of Particulate Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites," Scr. Metall. Mater., 33 925 (1995). 

Particulate fillers provide better creep resistance than unfilled plastics but are less effective than fibrous reinforcements. 

In general adding reinforcing fibers significantly increases mechanical properties. Particulate fillers of various types usually increase the modulus, plasticizers generally decrease the modulus but enhance flexibility, and so on. These RPs can also be called composites. However the name composites Utterly identifies thousands of different combinations with very few that include the use of plastics (Table 6-18). In using the term com-... 

By the term particulate composites we are referring to composites reinforced with particles having dimensions of the same order of magnitude. Particulate composites are produced from a polymeric matrix, into which a suitable metal powder has been dispersed, and exhibit highly improved mechanical properties, better electrical and thermal conductivity than either phase, lower thermal expansivity, and improved dimensional stability and behaviour at elevated temperatures. 

The above model has been successfully used to describe the thermomechanical behaviour of iron-particle reinforced resins. More precisely, the importance of this model is that it provides a quantitative means for assessing the adhesion efficiency between the phases and its effect on the thermomechanical properties of the composite. Moreover, by using this model the thermomechanical behaviour, as well as the extent of the mesophase developed in particulates could be described. The... 

---