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Composite materials: Engineering and science

F L Matthews and R D Rawlings, Imperial College London, UK

Woodhead Publishing Series in Composites Science and Engineering No. 9

An ideal text for designers and engineers new to the world of composites with its coverage by numerous examples and self-assessment questions throughout the text.
SAMPE Journal

The purpose of this wide-ranging introductory text is to provide a basic understanding of the underlying science as well as the engineering applications of composite materials. It explains how composite materials, with their advantages of high strength with stiffness, together with low weight and other desirable properties are formed and discusses the nature of the different types of reinforcement and matrix – and their interaction. Methods of production, examples of typical applications and essential data are all included.

Composite materials: Engineering and science is based on a successful long running course at Imperial College, London, and the numerous worked examples combined with a comprehensive set of problems and self-assessment questions (with answers) provide an excellent text for senio undergraduate and graduate courses in materials science, engineering and physics. It will also be invaluable to any designer or professional engineer new to the composite materials field.

This is a reissue of a successful and well-regarded textbook originally published in 1994 by Chapman & Hall.

ISBN 1 85573 473 7
ISBN-13: 978 1 85573 473 9
July 1999
480 pages  234 x 156mm  paperback  
£50.00 / US$85.00 / €60.00

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Titles which may also be of interest:
Properties and performance of natural-fibre composites
Delamination behaviour of composites
Failure analysis and fractography of polymer composites

Contents

Overview
 - Introduction
 - Definitions and classification
 - Natural composites
 - More about the matrix and reinforcement
 - Factors which determine properties
 - The benefits of composites
 - Summary

Reinforcements and the reinforcement-matrix interface
 - Introduction
 - Natural fibres
 - Introduction to synthetic fibres
 - Synthetic organic fibres
 - Synthetic inorganic fibres
 - Particular and whisker reinforcements
 - Reinforcement-matrix interface
 - Summary

Composites with metallic matrices
 - Introduction
 - Metal matrix composite processing
 - Interface reactions
 - Properties of MMCs
 - Some commercial MMCs
 - Summary

Ceramic matrix composites
 - Introduction
 - Processing and structure of monolithic materials
 - Processing of CMCs
 - Detailed review of selected CMCs
 - Summary

Polymer matrix composites
 - Introduction
 - Polymer matrices
 - Processing of PMCs
 - Some commercial PMCs
 - Summary

Stiffness, strength and related topics
 - Introduction
 - Loads and deformations
 - Stress and strain
 - Stress-strain relations
 - Bending of plates
 - Isotropic materials
 - Principle stress and strain
 - Thin-walled cylinders and spheres
 - Failure criteria
 - Summary

Stiffness of unidirectional composites and laminates
 - Introduction
 - Basic stress-strain relations
 - Off-axis loading of a unidirectional composite
 - Stiffness of laminates
 - The A, B and D matrices
 - Using the laminate constitutive equations
 - Summary

Micromechanics of unidirectional composites
 - Macromechanics and microelectronics
 - Micromechanics models for stiffness
 - Micromechanics models for strength
 - Thermal and moisture effects
 - Summary

Strength of unidirectional composites and laminates
 - Introduction
 - Strength of a lamina
 - Strength of a laminate - Additional factors
 - Summary

Short fibre composites
 - Introduction
 - Reasons for using short fibre composites
 - Fibre length
 - Fibre orientation
 - Stress and strain distribution at fibres
 - Critical fibre length and average fibre stress
 - Stiffness and strength
 - Summary

Fracture mechanics and toughening mechanisms
 - Introduction
 - Energy analysis
 - Local stress
 - Other parameters
 - Fracture initiation
 - Impact
 - Slow crack growth and crack opening modes
 - Toughening mechanisms
 - Summary

Impact resistance
 - Introduction
 - Impact testing
 - Impact damage
 - Residual strength
 - Epoxy and thermoplastic matrices
 - Summary

Fatigue and environmental effects
 - Introduction
 - Test methods
 - Unidirectional composites
 - Multidirectional laminated composites
 - Frequency effects
 - Edge effects and stress concentrators
 - Compressive loading
 - Fabric based composites
 - Hybrid composites
 - Moisture absorption and its effects on properties
 - Other environments
 - Combined fatigue and environmental effects
 - Summary

Joining
 - Introduction
 - Mechanically fastened joints
 - Bonded joints
 - Repair
 - Summary

Non-destructive testing
 - Introduction
 - Ultrasonic inspection
 - Radiography
 - Vibration methods
 - Thermal methods
 - Acoustic emission
 - Summary