The first edition of this book came out in 1987, offering an integrated cov erage of the field of composite materials. I am gratified at the reception it receivedat the hands of the students and faculty. The second edition follows the same format as the first one, namely, a well-balanced treatment of materials and mechanics aspects of composites, with due recognition of the importance of the processing. The second edition is a fully revised, updated, and enlarged edition of this widely used text. There are some new chapters, and others have been brought up-to-date in light of the extensivework done in the decade since publication of the first edition. Many people who used the first edition as a classroom text urged me to include some solved exam ples. In deference to their wishes I have done so. I am sorry that it took me such a long time to prepare the second edition. Things are happening at a very fast pace in the field of composites, and there is no question that a lot of very interesting and important work has been done in the past decade or so. Out of necessity, one must limit the amount of material to be included in a textbook. In spite of this view, it took me much more time than I antici pated. In this second edition, I have resisted the temptation to cover the whole waterfront. 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-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction....Pages 3-5 Reinforcements....Pages 6-71 Matrix Materials....Pages 72-100 Interfaces....Pages 101-129 Front Matter....Pages 131-131 Polymer Matrix Composites....Pages 133-163 Metal Matrix Composites....Pages 164-211 Ceramic Matrix Composites....Pages 212-251 Carbon Fiber Composites....Pages 252-277 Multifilamentary Superconducting Composites....Pages 278-299 Front Matter....Pages 301-301 Micromechanics of Composites....Pages 303-346 Macromechanics of Composites....Pages 347-376 Monotonic Strength and Fracture....Pages 377-403 Fatigue and Creep....Pages 404-435 Designing with Composites....Pages 436-446 Back Matter....Pages 447-483 Part I: Introduction. Reinforcements. Matrix Materials. Interfaces Part II: Polymer Matrix Composites. Metal Matrix Composites. Ceramic Matrix Composites. Carbon Fiber Composites. Multifilimentary Superconducting Composites Part III: Micromechanics of Composites. Macromechanics of Composites. Monotonic Strength and Fracture. Fatigue and Creep. Designing with Composites Appendices: A. Matrices. B. Fiber Packing in Unidirectional Composites. C. Some Important Units and Conversion Factors Problems Author Index Subject Index. Focusing on the relationship between structure and properties, this is a well-balanced treatment of the mechanics and the materials science of composites, while not neglecting the importance of processing.
