3 Credit Hours

The course covers the basic principles underlying properties of composite materials as related to the properties of individual constituents and their interactions. Polymer, metal and ceramic matrix composites are included. Property averaging and micromechanics of composites are covered at an introductory level. Emphasis is placed on design and processing of composite systems to yield desired combinations of properties.

Prerequisite

MSE 420 Mechanical Properties of Materials or by permission of the instructor.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

• Explain the structure-property relationships for metal, ceramic and polymer matrix composites.
• Calculate average properties for simple composite structures
• Describe methods used to process metal, ceramic and polymer matrix composites
• Design or select a specific type of composite for a particular application

Course Requirements

Exams: 2 Mid-term Exam and 1 Final Exam (25% each).
Quizzes: 5 Quizzes (5% of total Grade).
Project: Final project presentation (20%).

Textbook

1. *Chawla, K.K. (2019) Composite Materials: Science and Engineering, 4th Edition, Springer.
2. *Staab, G.H. (2015) Laminar Composites, 2nd Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann.
3. **Hosford, W.F. (2012), Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Cambridge University Press.
4. **Meyers, M.A., Chawla, K.K. Mechanical Behavior of Materials, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press.
5. **Hertzberg, R.W., Vinci, R.P., Hertzberg, J.L. Deformation and Fracture Mechanics of Engineering Materials, 5th Edition, Wiley.
   Notes:
   *Textbook is available through NCSU Library in PDF or EPUB form.
   ** Optional textbooks for students without prior coursework on Mechanical Behavior of Materials.

Updated: 11/17/2025.