MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FRP COMPOSITES - When designing products out of FRP materials, engineers use sophisticated composite material software which calculates the known properties of the given composite. By adding a reinforcing fiber such as carbon fiber, glass, or aramid, the properties are vastly improved. With reinforcing fiber, a composite can be engineered to have different properties in different directions depending on the orientation of the fiber reinforcement. A composite material can have additional reinforcement in the direction of stresses, and this can create more efficient structures at lighter weights.

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Properties of FRP Composites

The Unique Mechanical Properties of Fiber Reinforced Polymers

by Todd Johnson 

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites are used in a wide variety of applications. Their mechanical properties provide unique benefits to the product they are molded into.

FRP composite materials possess superior mechanical properties including:

·                     Impact resistance

·                     Strength

·                     Stiffness

·                     Flexibility

·                     Ability to carry loads

When designing products out of FRP materials, engineers use sophisticated composite material software which calculates the known properties of the given composite.

Typical tests used to measure the mechanical properties of FRP composites include:

·                     Shear stiffness

·                     Tensile

·                     Flexible Modulus

·                     Impact

Components of FRP Composite Materials

The two major components of an FRP composite material is resin and reinforcement.

A cured thermosetting resin without any reinforcement is glass-like in nature and appearance, but often very brittle.

By adding a reinforcing fiber such as carbon fiber, glass, or aramid, the properties are vastly improved.

Additionally, with reinforcing fiber, a composite can have anisotropic properties. Meaning, the composite can be engineered to have different properties in different directions depending on the orientation of the fiber reinforcement.

Aluminum, steel and other metals have isotropic properties, meaning, equal strength in all directions.

A composite material, with anisotropic properties, can have additional reinforcement in the direction of stresses, and this can create more efficient structures at lighter weights.

For example, a pultruded rod having all fiberglass reinforcement in the same parallel direction could have tensile strength upwards of 150,000 PSI.

Whereas a rod with the same area of random chopped fiber would only have tensile strength around 15,000 PSI.

Another difference between FRP composites and metals is the reaction to impact.

When metals receive impact, they can yield or dent. While FRP composites have no yield point and will not dent.

Todd Johnson

Regional Sales Manager for Composites One, a distributor of composite materials.

B.S. in Business Management from University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business

Business Development Manager for Ebert Composites Corporation

Experience

Todd Johnson is a former writer for ThoughtCo, who wrote about plastics and composite materials for 2-1/2 years between 2010 and 2013. He is a Regional Sales Manager at Composites One, a composite materials distributor in San Diego, CA. Johnson provides support to the Greater San Diego manufacturers of fiber reinforced and polymer products. He regularly attends composite industry trade shows including JEC, ACMA, SME, and SAMPE. In 2008 he presented at the Global Pultrusion Conference in Baltimore, MD. Previously, Todd spent six years as the Business Development Manager for Ebert Composites Corporation. 

Education

B.S., Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services - the University of Colorado-Boulder's Leeds School of Business; attended Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. 

Todd Johnson

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https://www.thoughtco.com/properties-of-frp-composites-820515