TABLE OF CONTENTS The matrix, as discussed in the Chapter 1, serves the following functions: 1) transfers load into and out from the fibers, 2) separates the fibers to prevent failure of adjacent fibers when one fails, 3) protects the fiber from environmental damage, supports the fibers in the shape of the component.
The mechanical properties of the composite that are significantly affected by the properties of the polymeric matrix (and fiber/matrix bond strength) include 1) longitudinal compression strength, 2) transverse tensile strength, and 3) interlaminar shear strength. These are generally called matrix-dominated properties.
To be suitable as matrices, polymers must also have resistance to aircraft solvents such as fuel, hydraulic fluid, and paint stripper and to service temperatures typically up to around 80 C for civil and 150 C for military applications; however, a capability to over 200 C may be required in some applications.
In the production of advanced composites suitable for aerospace applications, it is important that the method of matrix incorporation does not damage the reinforcement fibers or inadvertently change their orientation. One suitable method is to infiltrate an aligned fiber bed with a low-viscosity liquid that is then converted, by chemical reaction or simply by cooling, to form a continuous solid matrix with the desired properties.
Polymers consist of very long chain molecules, [1] generally with a backbone consisting of covalently bonded carbon atoms. In the simplest type of polymer, each carbon atom is joined to two others to...
