Book Review - International Encyclopedia of Composites
SAMPE has recently published an updated version of the International Encyclopedia of Composites. This second edition, edited by Dr. Stuart Lee, boasts over 200 articles on a variety of topics.
The IEC is available only in CD-ROM format. Because of that, this review is divided into two parts. This first covers the actual content of the book, as with a traditional review. The second covers the implementation of the book on CD-ROM.
General Content
The collection of subjects in the IEC can best be described as eclectic. Articles range from highly technical or theoretical papers to general overviews suited to a broad audience. The SAMPE book brochure divides the IEC into four broad topic areas:
- Composites as engineering materials and their components.
- The behavior and characterization of composites under loads.
- Composites designed or developed for specialty applications.
- Design, manufacturing and fabrication of composites.
As with any collection by multiple authors (nearly 300), the quality of writing varies considerably. Most articles are well written, but a few suffer from numerous grammatical and punctuation errors, as well as inconsistent formatting. These problems don't necessarily detract from the content of the IEC, but they are definitely noticeable.
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A Sampling of Articles
Reviewing the entire text of the IEC would be difficult (and rather time consuming) given its length (nearly 1200 printed pages). So instead of an exhaustive review, I have tried to pick out some representative articles from each of the four topic areas.
Lamination Theory
No comprehensive book on composites would be complete without at least some coverage of lamination theory. The IEC article is too brief to learn the theory, but serves as a good review or reference for engineers looking for a refresher or specific equation. The article focuses on stiffness (constitutive equations), with coverage of stress calculations perhaps a bit too brief. The text refers to eight textbooks for more detailed coverage, but the actual citations are missing.
Software
An understanding of laminate theory is important to composite design, but most engineers will use a commercial program for analysis. The article on design and analysis software is a review of a single program, CompositePro, written by the author of the program. CompositePro is a good program (I recommend it myself), and the review is very objective, but it would be nice to see coverage of other programs.
There is also a single article on finite element analysis (FEA). It presents some of the challenges of using FEA with composites versus isotropic materials. A few brief examples of some specific applications are given, with the results generated from NASTRAN.
Braiding
Many different material forms are available to composites engineers. Choosing the appropriate one can sometimes be difficult. Articles like the one on braiding can assist in this process. This article describes the fiber geometry of braids, the advantages and disadvantages of this material form, and shows properties of specific braids in comparison to traditional fabrics. A brief introduction to analyzing braids is also given.
Epoxy Resins
At nine pages, this is one of the longest articles I came across in my browsing. It provides a very good overview of the advantages of epoxies as composite matrices, epoxy chemistry, resin manufacture and curing agents. Properties of various commercial resins are shown in 11 different data tables.
Orthopaedic Devices
One very specialized use of composites is in orthopaedic applications. The specific topics covered in this article include total joint replacements, fracture healing implants and external fracture healing devices. The article is very well written, presenting a technical overview of this application. The author discusses physiological requirements, material selection and laminate design. Twenty references are given.
Fiber Reinforced Concrete
This is a good example of a technical article on a specific material. The approach here is to describe the theory behind fiber reinforcement of concrete. Sufficient detail is given to allow simple calculation of increased strength, toughness and other properties. Although sample material properties are given, little is said about the applications of fiber reinforced concrete.
Nondestructive Testing (NDT)
A complete, technical coverage of NDT would be well beyond the scope of the IEC. Instead, the author of this article has chosen to review the major NDT techniques used for composites, providing brief descriptions of each method, the types and sizes of flaws each can detect, and the disadvantages of each. As a result, the article can be used for preliminary screening of test methods. The major methods covered are tap testing, penetrant inspection, radiographic inspection and ultrasonic inspection (several different methods). Thirteen other methods are covered in less detail, including thermography, shearography, holography and others.
Market Opportunities
This final example shows an article that should have appeal to a wide audience. It covers the use of composites in several industries, including military and commercial aerospace, golf, automotive, civil engineering and infrastructure, alternative fuels, and offshore structures. The article describes current and potential future uses in each industry, as well as the barriers to adoption.
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