Today's composite materials often outshine traditional materials; they are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and strong. Used in everything from aircraft structures to golf clubs, and serving industries from medicine to space exploration, composites are an exciting field of study for students, engineers, and researchers around the world. New applications of these versatile materials are being found daily. This innovative book provides a complete introduction to the mechanical behavior of composites. Geared to upper-level and graduate students, or practicing engineers and scientists interested in updating their knowledge, Mechanics of Composite Materials is a new approach to the topic. Unlike old-style texts, this book introduces the basics of composites through frequently asked questions the author answers from his considerable experience as a professor and researcher in the field. The text is supplemented by user-friendly PROMAL software, which allows readers to conduct studies, compare theories, design structures, and quickly access the information in tables and graphs. Richly illustrated and filled with problems, reviews, and examples, this is an excellent assessment of an exciting field.

Table of Contents:
Introduction to Composite Materials Classification Polymer Matrix Composites Metal Matrix Composites Ceramic Matrix Composites Carbon-Carbon Composites Recycling Mechanics Terminology General References Video References Macromechanical Analysis of a Lamina Review of Definitions Stress Strain Elastic Moduli Strain Energy Hooke's Law for Different Types of Materials Anisotropic Material Monoclinic Material Orthotropic Material (Orthogonally Anisotropic)/Specially Orthotropic Transversely Isotropic Material Isotropic Material Hooke's Law for a Two-Dimensional Unidirectional Lamina Plane Stress Assumption Reduction of Hook's Law in Three Dimensions to Two Dimensions Relationship of Compliance and Stiffness Matrix to Engineering Elastic Constants of a Lamina Hooke's Law for a Two-Dimensional Angle Lamina Engineering Constants of an Angle Lamina Invariant Form of Stiffness and Compliance Matrices for an Angle Lamina Strength Failure Theories of an Angle Lamina Maximum Stress Failure Theory Strength Ratio Failure Envelopes Maximum Strain Failure Theory Tsai-Hill Failure Theory Tsai-Wu Failure Theory Comparison of Experimental Results with Failure Theories Hygrothermal Stresses and Strains in a Lamina Hygrothermal Stress-Strain Relationship for a Unidirectional Lamina Hygrothermal Stress-Strain Relationship for an Angle Lamina Appendix A: Matrix Algebra Appendix B: Transformation of Stresses and Strains Micromechanical Analysis of a Lamina Volume and Mass Fractions, Density and Void Content Volume Fractions Mass Fractions Density Void Content Evaluation of the Four Elastic Moduli Strength of Materials Approach Semi-Empirical Models Elasticity Approach Elastic Moduli of Lamina with Transversely Isotropic Fibers Ultimate Strengths of a Unidirectional Lamina Longitudinal Tensile Strength Longitudinal Compressive Strength Transverse Tensile Strength Transverse Compressive Strength In-Plane Shear Strength Coefficients of Thermal Expansion of a Unidirectional Lamina Coefficients of Moisture Expansion of a Unidirectional Lamina Macromechanical Analysis of a Laminate Laminate Code Stress-Strain Relations for a Laminate One-Dimensional Isotropic Beam Stress-Strain Relations Strain-Displacement Equations Strain and Stress in a Laminate Stress and Moment Resultants Related to Mid-Plane Strains and Curvatures In-Plane and Flexural Modulus of a Laminate In-Plane Engineering Constants of a Laminate Flexural Engineering Constants of a Laminate Hygrothermal Effects in a Laminate Hygrothermal Stresses and Strains Coefficients of Thermal and Moisture Expansion of Laminates Warpage of Laminates Failure, Analysis and Design of Laminates Special Cases of Laminates Symmetric Laminates Cross-Ply Laminates Angle-Ply Laminates Antisymmetric Laminates Balanced Laminates Quasi-Isotropic Laminates Failure Criteria for a Laminate Design of Laminated Composite Other Mechanical Design Issues Long-Term Environmental Effects Interlaminar Stresses Impact Fracture Resistance Fatigue Resistance PROMAL Software Package: A User's Guide System Requirements Setting Up PROMAL Using the Program Common Buttons Access Keys Matrix Algebra Lamina Properties Database Replacing Corrupted Lamina Properties Database Macromechanical Analysis of a Lamina Micromechanical Analysis of a Lamina Macromechanical Analysis of a Laminate Index Each chapter also includes objectives, an introduction, exercise sets, and references.