Composite Materials Science and Engineering focuses on the structure-property relationships in composite materials. A detailed description is given of how microstructure of different fibers (such as glass, Kevlar, polyethylene, carbon, boron, silicon, carbide, alumina etc.) controls their characteristics. The important role of interface in composite materials is discussed. Up to date information about the recent advances in polymer matrix-, metal matrix-, and ceramic matrix composites is provided. Micro- and macromechanical aspects of composite materials as well as their strength, fracture, and design aspects are described in detail - always emphasizing the basic theme of how the structure controls the resultant properties. Extensive use is made of micrographs and line drawings to bring home to the reader the importance of structure-property relationships in composites. Throughout the book, examples are given from practical applications of composites in various fields. Extensive references to the literature, general bibliography, as well as practice problems are provided. The book is intended for undergraduates (senior level) and first year graduate students as well as the practicing engineer/scientist in the industry. This second edition of a widely used text offers an integrated and completely up-to-date coverage of composite materials. Focusing on the relationship between structure and properties, it provides a well- balanced treatment of the mechanics and the materials science of composites, while not neglecting the importance of processing. The book has been revised and updated throughout, with new chapters on fatigue and creep of composites. The text presents a detailed description of how the various reinforcements (such as, glass, polyethylene, aramid, carbon), the materials in which they are embedded (ceramics, metals, polymers), and of the interfaces between them, control the properties of the composite materials at both the micro- and macro-levels. Extensive use is made of micrographs and line drawings to emphasize the importance of of processing, microstructure, and properties in composite materials. Examples of practical applications in various fields are given throughout the book, and extensive references to the literature are provided. The book is intended for use in graduate and upper-division undergraduate courses, but practicing engineers and researchers in industry and academe will also find it a useful reference. About the author: K.K. Chawla has taught and done research at institutions in Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, and the US and has served as a consultant to industry, national laboratories, and government agencies. He is currently at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His books, used as texts throughout the world, include Ceramic Matrix Composites (1993), Fibrous Materials (1998), Mechanical Metallurgy. Front Matter....Pages I-XVII Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction....Pages 3-5 Fibers....Pages 6-57 Matrix Materials....Pages 58-78 Interfaces....Pages 79-86 Front Matter....Pages 87-87 Polymer Matrix Composites....Pages 89-101 Metal Matrix Composites....Pages 102-133 Ceramic Matrix Composites....Pages 134-149 Carbon Fiber Composites....Pages 150-163 Multifilamentary Superconducting Composites....Pages 164-174 Front Matter....Pages 175-175 Micromechanics of Composites....Pages 177-203 Macromechanics of Composites....Pages 204-228 Strength, Fracture, Fatigue, and Design....Pages 229-258 Back Matter....Pages 259-N2
