ABSTRACT
Composites........................................................................................ 333 15.5.4 Effects of Water Absorption on the Properties ................................. 334
15.6 Characterization of Mechanical Properties .................................................. 335 15.6.1 Tensile Properties ............................................................................. 335 15.6.2 Tensile Properties ............................................................................. 336 15.6.3 Flexural Properties ........................................................................... 341 15.6.4 Impact Properties .............................................................................. 342 15.6.5 Fracture Toughness Behavior ........................................................... 345 15.6.6 Effect of Manufacturing Methods on the Properties ........................346
15.7 Optimization of Fiber and Matrix Properties ...............................................348 15.7.1 Fiber Modication ............................................................................348
The term “composite material” can be broadly dened as the result of combining two or more materials on a microscopic scale, each of which has their own unique properties, to produce a new material that has properties far superior than either of the base materials. The constituent that is continuous, present normally in greater quantity, in the composite is called the matrix, and the second constituent is referred to as the reinforcement (bers) as it enhances the properties of the matrix (Hull and Clyne 1996; Matthews and Rawlings 1995).
