Fibre-reinforced plastic - Coursework Example

Fibre-reinforced plastic Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) also referred to as Fibre-reinforced plastic is a type of composite material, which is made from a polymer matrix that is fibre reinforced (ngcc). They have more than two physical phases. One phase has the fibrous dispersed in its continuous pattern, the second one the fibres are continuous and the third one has a fine interphase. The fibres forming the reinforcements are usually carbon, glass and aramid. In certain cases, manufacturers of fibre-reinforced polymer use other fibres such as wood, paper and asbestos. Normally, the polymer is a piece of polyester thermosetting plastic, a vinyl ester or an epoxy. The aerospace, marine, construction and automotive industries are the most frequent users of FRPs. Traditional firms that supply carbon are Cytec, Toray, Hexcel, Formosa Plastics, SGL Group and Mitsubishi Rayon (Vasile, 2002, p.22). FRP composite materials that occur naturally are made from two or even more constituent materials. These component materials usually have differing chemical and physical properties, and they include resins and fibres (ngcc). They remain distinct and separate in the finished product to form the components of the FRP. Most of these composites have stiff and strong fibres in a matrix that is less stiff and weaker. The objective of this is to ensure that the final product is stiff and strong but with a very low density. In particular cases, contractors prefer thermoplastic polymers, which are mouldable after the final production. There has been the development of newer and more advanced forms of ERPs. Some of these improvements include more modern reinforcement styles such as nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes and development of high-performance resin systems. Fibre reinforced polymer components have become necessary substitutes or enhancements for development in infrastructure and structures typically constructed using traditional engineering materials, which include steel and concrete. FRP components are non-corrosive, lightweight and exhibit particular high strengths (Starr, 1999, p.34). They are easily constructed and can be tempered with to satisfy the specifications of the performance. The aspect of non-corrosiveness helps individuals maintain their items regardless of the areas they stay. Having a vehicle made from FRPs prevents reduces the maintenance costs that may result due to corrosion on certain parts of the car. FRP components can be used as reinforcement to concrete structures and as a substitute for pressurising tendons or steel (ngcc). In the construction industry, FRPs provide numerous advantages such as non-magnetic properties, corrosion resistance and high tensile strength. Polymers differ from other types of construction material such as a metals and ceramics because of their macromolecular nature (Warren, 1991, p. 25). The extended covalently bonded structures make them macromolecules. It is, therefore, easier to determine density and weight through the weight-averaged molecular weight. The density of this molecular weight is used to determine the mechanical strength of an FRP. FRPs have a high molecular weight. The high molecular weight is beneficial to mechanical properties like impact resistance, strain to break and wear (Starr, 1999, p.34). Carbon reinforced composites have desirable crash properties. In the case of an accident, the crash is less severe. They are light in weight, durable and malleable. Also after crash, victims trapped in the wreckage can be retrieved with ease, unlike the traditional materials. FRPs also lead to noise reduction in the automobiles. Their compact nature makes them less noisy hence; passengers can enjoy a comfortable and noiseless ride. Various brands use fibre reinforcement technology in the manufacture of their automobiles. Some of these include the Mercedes SLR and the McLaren. Mercedes makes over 140,000 front axle springs using carbon composite materials. This shows the amount of trust that they have on the ability of carbon to deliver the desired efficiency. Carbon reinforced composites offer manufacturing advantages, which allows manufacturers can engage in mass production with very limited number of workers. It is easy to change the shape of an FRP to suit a particular design due to their malleability. This, therefore, reduces the time wasted in getting customised components when building cars. They also reduce the time taken when twisting tyres to become trouser. The easiness of working with FRPs further goes down the lines of productivity. Lesser workers need since FRPs can be manufactured through automated processes. There is faster, accurate and efficient production when using carbon fibre composites because of their excitement. Experts predict that the price of standard grades, for example, those used in cars is likely to come down with over 10 dollars (Madhujit, 2004, p. 56). This shows a significant decrease in the price of carbon fibres. It is easy to meet natural limits using FRPs. Modern composites usually have two components in them, the matrix and a fibre. In most cases, the fibre is glass, however, sometimes Kevlar, polythene or carbon fibre is also be used (Vasile, 2002, p.12). The fibre embedded in the matrix makes the model stronger. Composites that have fibre reinforcements have two things going for them. They are light and durable. These composites are also stronger than steel and still weigh much less than steel. This property of composites implies that it can help produce lighter automobiles, which in turn end up being fuel-efficient. Table 1: Shows properties of matrix materials (http://www.ngcc.org.uk/Information/Introduction/EngineeringProperties.aspx) Material Density [kg/m³] Tensile strength [MPa] Tensile modulus [GPa] Failure strain [%] Polyester 1000-1450 20-100 2.1-4.1 1.0-6.5 Epoxy 1100-1300 55-130 2.5-4.1 1.5-9.0 FRPs allow alignment of glass fibres in thermoplastics to suit specific designs and programmes. When users specify the desired orientation and the reinforcements for the fibres, they can boost the strength and level of resistance of the resulting polymer. Polymers reinforced by glass are stable and resistant to forces that may cause deformation. Weak spots found in perpendicular fibres can serve as connections and natural hinges (Vasile, 2002, p.12). ERPs are, therefore, very useful in design programmes that demand precision engineering, weight saving, finite tolerances and simplifying various parts in both operation and production. Question 1 b Light weighting is a primary factor that increases transportation efficiency and economising on fuel while still maintaining high safety standard. If there is 10% reduction in the weight of a vehicle, fuel consumption can reduce by up to 8% and up to 10% more battery usage time for cars powered by batteries (Ahmed, 2013, p.123). Compared to using conventional steel in building cars, carbon component systems can reduce vehicle weight by over 60% (Ahmed, 2013, p.113). The table below shows the mechanical properties of components used to strengthen the material. In the past decade, the world’s capacity to produce carbon has grown by over 300% (Ahmed, 2013, p.113). The size will grow even at a higher in the next five years. It is, therefore, viable to invest in carbon fibre composites technology and take advantage of the readily available carbon supply. The high levels of supply mean that the prices are not likely to go up any soon. This ensures that the cars produced as of low cost and high quality at the same time. Table 2: shows the mechanical properties of common strengthening material (http://www.ngcc.org.uk/Information/Introduction/EngineeringProperties.aspx) Material Modulus of elasticity[GPa] Compressive Strength[MPa] Tensile Strength[MPa] Density [kg/m³] Concrete 20-40 5-60 1-3 2400 Steel 200-210 240-690 240-690 7800 Carbon fibre 200-800 NA 2500-6000 1750-1950 With the increasing production demand for cars from all over the world, some limitations may arise when trying to match with a high demand. Due to the limitation some polymer matrices properties as the demand for more production increase, several challenges emerge as the producers try to meet the request. Some problems arise in the production process, such as fibre matrix bonding problems, high manufacturing temperature and inability to produce the specified design of production. Ways of disposing of carbon fibre is becoming an issue in today’s society. When this carbon reinforced plastic components reach the end of their useful lives, they need to be disposed. Continued increase in the production of these plastics will create an environmental menace. Currently, the world produces approximately 27,000 tonnes of the hugely demanded carbon fibre (Ahmed, 2013, p.123). Dumping the wastes is difficult due to the non-degradability of the carbon components as well as the safety and health concerns that they raise. There is an ever-increasing demand for vehicles all over the world. This means that there are more people willing to spend their money on specific items available in the country. As we get more into the production of FRPs such as carbon, questions arise about environmental safety. These components are mostly no biodegradable; that is they cannot rot when dispose. Production of FRPs may, therefore, be subject to various laws that limit the manner of production either temporarily or permanently. As the use of carbon-reinforced components spreads all over the world, there is a lot conflicting information that come up. Some researchers indicate that they achieve substantial superior properties through producing fibre-reinforced components with some conventional aluminium alloys while others only report marginal improvements. There are no assurances on whether these fibre-reinforced components will work consistently in the long-term especially in times of emergency. Many times, interactions led to infiltration of methods and ways of producing ERPs. Question 2a While carbon-fibre reinforced plastic is known to be ideal for strength and weight, it is hard to use it in the production of automotive. There is excess use of material; these high volume carbon-fibre techniques fail to provide the right assurances on utmost safety. Another reason company move from FRPs is handling the potential. Aluminium, for example, is better suited to higher production volumes because the trade volumes. Various aircraft companies use this technology to lighten their aircrafts. One such example is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that maximises this property in achieving lesser weight. The plane uses lesser fuel and is faster than other brands of aeroplane produced before it. Heat treatment is another deformity people would want to hide. In the past, they were available or unavailable. The efficiency of using FRP cannot be ignored, however, manufacturers decide to go beyond a simple structure and look for other aspects of competence and durability. It is, therefore, no surprising that companies choose to use copper and steel in the production. Companies will always want to have the right joints when manufacturing their cars. Cars like Ferrari use aluminium material and metal matrix components when furnishing their joints (Starr, 1999, p.34). Carbon fibre composites are an excellent solution to the problem of weight on automobiles. It is a competitive solution that has been tested both in the building of aircraft, as well as cars. Reducing the weight of vehicles and other automobiles using composites such as carbon will assist in reducing the level of global warming. Cars will consume less fuel and hence lesser gases will go into the atmosphere. However, there should be mechanisms in place to ensure minimal pollution to the environment. The cost of carbon fibre components is low, and the extent of satisfaction is unmatchable. References Ahmed, E (ed) 2013, Advanced Composite Materials for Automotive Applications: Structural Integrity and Crashworthiness, Wiley. Cornelia, V 2002, Handbook of Polymer Blends and Composites: v. 1 (RAPRA handbooks), Rapra Technology Ltd. Madhujit, M 2004, Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures, Orient Blackswan Warren, R 1992. Ceramic-Matrix Composites, Springer. Trevor, S (ed) 1999, Composites - A Profile of the World-wide Reinforced Plastics Industry, Markets & Suppliers to 2005, Elsevier Science. Various, 1997, ICCM-11: Vol. 2, Woodhead Publishing. Read More