Different Aspects of Composite Fabrication: A Review

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced composite materials have occupied an important place in modern industries because of their versatile engineering applications, superior performance, and expected level of properties. Different fillers are mixed with the composite materials to economize material costs, to increase the quality of composites, to improve process ability, and to enhance product performance. However, improvements in physical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties of this class of materials are still under research for different applications and these properties of the composites are mainly dependent on their matrices, reinforcement, and functional fillers. To get required properties in composite different types of functional fillers and reinforcement (fibrous and particulate) are used with base materials to have intended applications. Multiple categories of composites are fabricated commercially using various manufacturing processes and techniques. In this review, the history of composite, its constituents, types, versatility, and fabrication methods are briefly discussed to find out the proper economic manufacturing process for a particular composite. The selection of composite constituents like proper reinforcement, fiber, and matrices plays a significant role in the commercial production process of composites. Types of reinforcement, size of the particle, continuity of fiber, etc. have a definite impact on the composites as well as their production technique which have been briefly discussed here. Laminates of the composite and its hybrid stacking sequence bring changes in the geometry of the composites and their properties. Continuity of fiber-like long or short and size of the particles like macro, micro, or nano is chosen for intended properties and expected applications of the composites. The interfacing of the functional fillers with the fiber and geometry of the particles assists in the proper arrangement of composite constituents and uniform stress distribution during the manufacturing process and its curing. Fabrication environment like open or closed molding is used for particular composite to be produced for precise control or normal usages. Besides other different manufacturing techniques are used for the composites which are specially fabricated for sports items, aircraft, watercraft, and aerospace industries. Open molding entails the utilization of several processes, such as spray-up, hand lay-up, filament winding, and casting where the hand layup method uses fiberglass composites’ singular cavity molds ranging from small to extremely large. The filament winding technique is used to manufacture pressure bottles, storage tanks, the casing of rocket motors, gas cylinders, pipelines, and firefighters, among others. Meanwhile, compression molding allows for flexibility of design and features, including ribs, inserts, attachments, and bosses. The advantages of RRIM composites include reduced labor costs, expedited cycle time, lower clamping pressure of molds, diminished scrap rate, etc. The Resin Transfer Molding technique makes it possible to easily obtain fiber volume laminates and is utilized for manufacturing complex automotive/aircraft components in addition to train seats. Centrifugal casting is used to produce huge-sized tanks and composite pipes. On the other hand, gel coating is used to produce many kinds of stone products. The uniqueness of a solid surface is its ability in being compression-molded, which denotes a pressure-intensive process that is ideal to mold intricate parts of solid surfaces.