Physical Properties of Composites

This article reviews simple models for predicting the elastic properties of composite materials from the simplest rules of mixtures couplings through semi-empirical models such as shear-lag and Halpin Tsai models to rigorous bounds and self-consistent Eshelby models. Predictions are made as a function of constituent phase properties, phase fractions, and morphologies. Elastic and thermal properties, are examined and model predictions are compared against experiments gleaned from the literature for a wide range of composite systems. In addition the use of modeling for the design of composites is also addressed.