SKILL UP PROJECT

Composite Materials
In Fuselage
A Complete Guide About Fuselage Materials

Made by : Supervised by :
Otmane Zaidi Pr.Akerdad Mohammed
Ichrak Boucetta Pr.El Mrabti Ilias
Mohamed Bimesmaren
Reda El Hammiri
Farah El Machti
Soukaina Essadky
 Generalities on

01 composite materials

The architecture of

02 composite materials
CONTENTS

03 Production technologies

Composites in the
04 aeronautical field

A vision on the use of

05 composite in our project

Generalities
on composite
materials
Complete Overview
What is a
Composite ?
A composite material is an assembly of two or more
materials of different natures. Complementing each
other and resulting in a heterogeneous material
whose the overall performance is superior to that of
the components taken separately.
Components of a composite
Matrix

Additives & fillers Reinforcement

Interface Charges
Reinforcement
The reinforcements help to improve the mechanical
tensile strength and stiffness of composite materials
and are in filamentary form (organic or inorganic).
Matrix
The matrix is the element that maintains the fibres. It
distributes the stresses (resistance compression or
flexion) and provides chemical protection of fibres.
Charges
The role of the reinforcing charges is to improve the
mechanical characteristics of the resin, or reduce its
cost by maintaining its performance.
Additives & fillers

They are necessary to ensure sufficient adhesion

between the fibrous reinforcement and the matrix
and they also modify the aspect or characteristics of
the material to which they are added.
Architecture of

composite

materials
Complete Overview
Single Layer
Monolayers represent the basic element of the
composite structure. The different types of
monolayers are characterized by the form of the
reinforcement: continuous fiber, short fiber, fabric
and matt fiber.
Laminates
Laminates consist of successive layers (sometimes
called folds) of reinforcements (threads, laminates,
mat, fabrics, etc.) impregnated with resins
Sandwiches
Materials consisting of two soles (or skins) of high

rigidity and low thickness enveloping a core of high

thickness and low strength. The whole forms a

structure of great lightness. The sandwich material

has a high bending rigidity and is an excellent

thermal insulation.
Production

technologies
An Overview
Resin transfer

Moulding (RTM)

This technique uses the epoxy thermoset

characteristic of a low-viscosity stage

during cure in an autoclave. Dry fabric

preforms are put into matched-cavity

moulds, preheated in the autoclave, and

then filled with preheated injected resin

under pressure.
Contact casting
The concept consists of placing in a mold

the reinforcements (in the form of a mat

or fabric) manually impregnated with a

thermosetting matrix. Parts of any shape

can be made with a very low cadence.

Sheet molding

compound (SMC)

SMC is a two-step production process which is

normally used for short fiber reinforced thermoset

composite. The first step is the preparation of the

so-called prepreg. The prepreg must remain in a

homogeneous state during flow to the extremities

of the mold. The second step is the compression.

RFI (Resin Film

Infusion)
In this process a film of resin is placed onto a

mould either beneath or above the dry fabric

preform. The assembly is then vacuum bagged

and loaded into an autoclave. The temperature

is raised to the resin’s low-viscosity stage and

a low-level pressure forces the resin into the

preform. When infusion is complete the

temperature and pressure are increased to

compact and cure the component

Filament Winding
(FW Technology)

This involves laying down resin-impregnated

continuous fibres on a stationary or rotating mandrel.

The mandrel is removed after cure. This technique is

best suited to components with simple surfaces of

revolution, e.g. shells and tubes

Pre-impregnated

technology (prepregs)

This technology is most used to make flat

laminates or with a certain curvature. Used by

experienced fabricators who are interested in

minimizing the weight of their part. Typical

applications include aerospace, racing,

sporting goods.
Vacuum forming

It is a simplified version of thermoforming,

where a sheet of plastic is heated to a forming

temperature, stretched onto a single-surface

mold, and forced against the mold by a vacuum.

Pultrusion Rolling technology

This is an automated process for manufacturing constant

the resin is applied on a layer of pre-applied

cross-sectional profiles. Continuous unidirectional fibre

fibers to the mold, and we use a consolidation

tows are impregnated with a thermosetting epoxy resin

and pulled through a heated die to shape and cure the

roller to distribute the resin.
composite product. However, full cure is not normally

achieved before the component exits the die, so post-

curing needs to be considered

Composites in

the Aeronautical

field
Complete Overview
 Boing 787
materials

There are two main materials used in

Other
30%
aeronautic structures , aluminum and

composite material. These two materials

make up about 70% of the mass of the

structure of a commercial aircraft such as

boing 787.

AL + Cmposite
70%
Aluminium alloys
Aluminium alloys are one of the most used
materials in aircraft for their strength ,low density
and high resistance to corrosion.
Aluminium alloys
For exemple we have :
Alon (Al23O27N5) It is a transparent refractory ceramic
sufficiently hard (Vickers hardness close to 16 GPa7) . It can
be produced in the form of windows, plates, domes, rods,
tubes or other transparent solid forms.

These aluminium alloys bonded to plies of fiber-reinforced

epoxy adhesive is what creates fiber metal laminates
Fiber metal laminate are characterized by low density,
excellent impact resistance, high strength-static and fatigue
properties, corrosion, and fire resistance. FML is made using
thin sheets (0.2–0.4 mm) of lightweight metal, such as
aluminium or titanium, bonded to thin layers of prepreg
composite, with the outer surfaces being metal. The most
common FML used in aerospace structures is GLARE
Aluminium alloys

GLARE as glass reiforced aluminium laminate , has improved

the damage tolerence (DT) And has showen high structural

efficiency (strength &stiffness)

The most notable success of glare in airframe structure is

its use in the airbus A380 , four grades are mainly used :

Glare 2A -> stringers

Glare 2B -> butt straps
Glare 3A & 4A -> Fuselage skins
Glare 5 -> horizental and vertical stabiliser loading
edges
Composite in aviation
Composite materials have played a major part in weight

reduction, many types of reinforcement materials are

available for aircraft use. Three types are used most often to

build custom aircraft. These are fiberglass, carbon fiber, and

Kevlar.

Glass fiber
Glass fiber or fiberglass is the most widely used reinforcing
material. The fiberglass is mainly used in making the
primary structural parts of aircraft, which include tail fins,
fairings, flaps propellers, radomes, air brakes, rotor blades,
and motor parts and wing tips. Two types of fiber glasses
namely S-glass and S2-glass are mainly used in aircraft
due to their high strength
Composite in aviation

Carbon fiber

Just after it we find carbon fiber as this materials make up

the fuselage, or main body, of the plane, as well as parts of

the wings and tail. Boeing points out that in addition to fuel

efficiency, using carbon and other composite materials

allows for less maintenance since they do not corrode or

fatigue the same way

Composite in aviation
One of the greatest benefits of carbon fiber fuselages is strength.

Carbon fiber is exceptionally strong even more so than steel and

aluminum. When individual strands of carbon are woven together,

they form an ultra-strong mesh-like material, which is carbon fiber.

Therefore, fuselages constructed of carbon fiber are able to resist

greater physical stress than those made of alternative materials.

Carbon fiber is also lightweight. In fact, it weighs about 40% less

than aluminum. When combined with its exceptional strength, the

lightweight properties of carbon fiber make it a popular choice for

large commercial airplanes.

The downside to carbon fiber is its cost. Carbon fiber costs more

than aluminum. This is due to the fact that producing carbon fiber is

more laborious. It requires more resources to product than

aluminum, resulting in a higher cost

Composite in aviation
There are two categories of CFRPs, thermosets and

thermoplastics, depending on the type of matrix:

Thermosets : The most widely used thermosets for

aircraft structures are epoxy resins, since they are readily

processed and have good chemical and mechanical

properties. They also undergo a low-viscosity stage

during cure, thereby enabling liquid resin-forming

techniques like resin transfer molding (RTM)

Thermoplastic composites offer a combination of

strength, fire resistance and galvanic corrosion

resistance that offers weight and process savings. There

exists a variety of consortiums focused on the assembly

of large structure using thermoplastics composites

including major parts of the aircraft.

Composite in aviation

Ballestic fiber
Ballestic fiber or also know as kevlar take up a fair part of

aircraft industry . Many jet engine manufacturers add a

protective layer of Kevlar fabric inside the engine cowl to

help catch errant fan blades or massive broken parts flung

outward by the engine's centrifugal force, thus potentially

preventing them from damaging the wing or the cabin.

Composite in aviation
The matrix is basically a homogeneous and monolithic material in

which a fiber system of a composite is embedded. The matrix binds

the fiber reinforcement, transfers loads between fibers, gives the

composite component its net shape and determines its surface

quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or

carbon.The commonly used ones in aerospace field are phenolic

polyester and epoxy .

Phenolic composites have many desirable performance qualities

including high temperature resistance, creep resistance, excellent

thermal insulation and sound damping properties, corrosion

resistance , and excellent fire/smoke/smoke toxicity properties.

Phenolic is created when weighted layers of cotton, paper or

glass fabric mix are placed under heat and pressure and filled

with synthetic resin. This creates an extremely durable and tough

material that is exceptionally more lightweight than aluminum but

offers many of the same benefits and applications, which makes

them a favorable material for the interior of airplanes.

Composite in aviation

Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional

group in every repeat unit of their main chain.

Epoxy-based composite materials have become indispensable for

the aerospace industry. They are largely used as protective

coatings to extend the lifespan of aircrafts. ts adhesive properties,

heat resistance, and high compressive strength at a lower weight

(compared to aluminum) make epoxy an ideal material to increase

strength and reduce costs associated with air travel. In aircraft

production, epoxy is used both to create structural elements and

as a structural adhesive
 Composite materials

offers :

Strength vs density

Creative freedom
Weigth reduction

Corrosion and fatigue resistance Easy for mold complex shapes

Electric /infraded tranceparency

Fewer pieces and shorter assembly

Asthetics
The use of

composite in

our project
An Overview
Conclusion
The materials most used in the structure of an airplane nowadays

are aluminum alloys and composite materials because they are

materials that meet the most criteria of choice of a material.

Composites are beginning to take an increasingly important place

in the structure of an aircraft, however they are still under

development, which allows aluminum alloys to be still very used.

Composite materials should subsequently be used more in the

structure than aluminium alloys. Composite materials therefore

present themselves as the future of an ideal structure for a civil or

freight aircraft.
Thank you for listening!
End