7 Fiber-Reinforced Composites
- FRC are strongest in tension and weakest in shear and compression. Compression stress is negligible in metals and important in fiber reinforced composites.
- In bending, materials weak in shear (e.g., FRC) most likely fail at the neutral plane
- Carbon has higher stiffness than glass
- Specific strength properties of FRC materials are based on the density, fiber orientation, volume fraction, fiber length
- Thermoset (epoxy) is stronger than thermoplastic (acrylic)