7.3 Polymer Tutorial

CE1313 Properties of Materials
Polymers and
Composites
COMPARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CRYSTALLINE VS
AMORPHOUS POLYMERS
Amorphous Polymers Crystalline Polymers
• No crystallinity • Contains polymer crystals
• No regular packing of chains • All crystalline polymers are in fact
• Random arrangement of chains semicrystalline ie. they also contains
• “Big bowl of noodles” an amorphous fraction
• Crystals are composed of tightly
• Optically clear
packed arrangement of chains
• Can’t be used above Tg • Crystals scatter light and are therefore
opaque
• Can be used above Tg as crystals
stops the amorphous regions from
flowing away
• Can not be used above the Tm
crystalline
region
amorphous
region
SKETCH TYPICAL MODULUS VS TEMP PLOTS FOR: A) AN AMORPHOUS
THERMOPLASTIC, B) LIGHTLY CROSSLINKED POLYMER AND C) SEMI-
CRYSTALLINE POLYMER
Secondary bonding in amorphous regions melt
10 Tg
Semi-crystalline
log modulus (Pa)

9
8
7 Lightly
Tg Crosslinked
6
5 TgAmorphous
4 Tm
Temperature
Secondary bonding in crystalline regions melt
Do the covalent bonding in the chains melt? NO!
Q: WHY DO CRYSTALS INCREASE THE MODULUS?
 Above the Tg, the secondary bonding in the crystalline regions are still
present. The secondary bonding in the crystalline regions are maintaining a
high modulus.
 The secondary bonding in the crystalline regions don’t melt until the Tm.
QUESTION: POLYMER STRUCTURE – PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS
Briefly explain how each of the following influences the

mechanical strength of a semicrystalline polymer and why:
a) Molecular weight
Increase chain entanglements
Increase TS, impact strength
b) Degree of crystallinity
Increase modulus
Increase TS
POLYMER STRUCTURE
Explain why thermosetting plastics generally have high
strengths and low ductilities.
High strength/low ductility because of high concentration of strong
covalent bonds preventing chains from sliding past one another
Is it possible to grind up and reuse an epoxy thermoset?

No because the covalent crosslinks prevent remoulding when heated.
Is it possible to grind up and reuse polypropylene?

Yes – thermoplastic (maybe problems if MW drops upon reprocessing)
COMPOSITES
Q. What is the function of the matrix in a fibre reinforced composite?
A. Transfers the load to the fibres and makes them deform together, instead of
independently
Q. With a composite with continuous parallel fibres loaded in the direction of the
fibres, what is the starting point (or assumption) to calculate the elastic modulus
of the composite?
B. The strain of the matrix = strain of the fibres
Q. How is the force in this composite distributed?
A. Force along the composite is the sum of the force carried by the fibre and the
matrix
COMPOSITES: CONTINUOUS FIBRE REINFORCED
Strains are equivalent

c = m = f
Ec = vfEf + vmEm
Stresses are equivalent
c = m = f
1 vf vm
 
Ec Ef Em
HOMEWORK: DERIVE EQUATION
Equation is used for a load applied parallel to the fibres
Ff E fVf Fc Fc

Fm EmVm
Parallel to fibre, therefore isostrain conditions f= m

Ff  f Af E f  f Af E f Af E f V f
   
Fm  m Am Em m Am Em Am EmVm
Af
Vf 
This assumes the length Ac
of the fibres and matrix
Am
are the same Vm 
Ac
DERIVE EQUATION
1 vf vm
 
Ec Ef Em
Transverse to the fibres = Perpendicular to the fibres
ISOSTRESS conditions
In general you do not want the matrix to have
the same stress as the fibre!
σc = σf = σm=σ
Now c = mVm + fVf
  
 Vm  Vf
Ec Em Ef
1 1 1
 Vm  Vf
Ec E m Ef
QUESTION: CONTINUOUS FIBRE REINFORCED
A composite consists of a continuous glass-fibre reinforced-epoxy resin produced

using 60vol% of E-glass fibres (Ef = 73 GPa) and a tensile strength of 3.4 GPa and a
hardened epoxy resin with a modulus Em = 3.5GPa and a tensile strength of 0.05
GPa. Assume longitudinal loading.
Calculate
a) the modulus of elasticity,
b) the tensile strength, and
c) the fraction of the load carried by the fibre to the matrix F f/Fm.
SOLUTION
a) Modulus of elasticity of composite
Ec  E f V f  EmVm
 (73GPa  0.60)  (3.5GPa  0.40)
 43.8GPa  1.36GPa
 45.2GPa
b) Tensile strength of composite
 c   f V f   mVm
 (3.4GPa  0.60)  (0.05  0.40)
 2.04GPa  0.02GPa
 2.06GPa
SOLUTION
c) Fraction of load carried by fibre to matrix is:
Ff E fVf

Fm EmVm
Ff 73GPa  0.60
  31.3
Fm 3.5GPa  0.40
or Ff=31.3 Fm
FRACTION OF LOAD OF FIBRE TO COMPOSITE?
Ff
? Fc = Ff + Fm Ff Ff fAf Ef f Af
Fc   
Fc Ff  Fm fAf mAm Ef f Af  EmmAm
Ff  f Af E f  f Af E f  f V f Ac E fVf
   
Fc  f A f   m Am E f  f A f  Em m Am E f  f V f Ac  Em mVm Ac E f V f  EmVm
Ff E fVf

Fc E f V f  Em Am
Ff (73GPa  0.60)

Fc (73GPa  0.60)  (3.5GPa  0.40)
 0.97
ALIGNED FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITE
Problem 16.14 Callister
A continuous and aligned fibrous composite has a

cross-sectional area (970 mm2). The stresses sustained
by the fibre and matrix phases are 215 and 5.38 MPa
respectively. The force sustained by the fibre phase is 76,800 N,
and the total longitudinal strain is 1.56 x 10 -3. Assume longitudinal
loading.
Calculate:
a) The load sustained by the matrix phase (F m)
b) The moduli of elasticity for fibre and matrix phases (E f & Em)
Longitudinal loading
We know: Fm
m =
Am
But don’t know Am, but:
Fm Fm Am
m = = Vm 
Am VmAc Ac
Therefore must find Vm
We know Ff and f F F
f = f = f
Af Vf Ac
Ff 76,800 N
Vf = = = 0.369

 f Ac 21510 N / m 0.97010 m
6 2 3 2
 
Therefore Vm = 1 Vf = 1 0.369= 0.631
Longitudinal loading
F F
m = m = m
Am VmAc
Upon substitution:
 
Fm = Vm m A c = (0.631) 5.38 x 106 N/m 2 0.970 x 10-3 m 2 = 3290 N 
Calculate modulus of fibre and matrix phase:

Isostrain conditions:
  5.38MPa
Em = m = m =  3.45GPa
 m  c 1.5610 3
  215 MPa
f f
E = = = = 138GPa
f   1.56  103
f c

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CE1313 Properties of Materials

log modulus (Pa)

Briefly explain how each of the following influences the

Is it possible to grind up and reuse an epoxy thermoset?

Is it possible to grind up and reuse polypropylene?

B. The strain of the matrix = strain of the fibres

Q. How is the force in this composite distributed?

Strains are equivalent

Stresses are equivalent

Parallel to fibre, therefore isostrain conditions f= m

A composite consists of a continuous glass-fibre reinforced-epoxy resin produced

A continuous and aligned fibrous composite has a

Calculate modulus of fibre and matrix phase:

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