ASTM D3878-02a

Standard Terminology for Composite Materials

SCOPE
1.1 These definitions cover generic terms, including terms of commercial importance, that appear in one or more standards on composites containing high-modulus (greater than 20-GPa (3 X 106 psi)) fibers.
1.2 The definitions cover, in most cases, special meanings used in the composites industry. No attempt has been made to include common meanings of the same terms as used outside the composites industry.  
1.3 Definitions included have, in general, been approved as standard.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Dec-2002
• ICS: 01.040.49 - Aircraft and space vehicle engineering (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 49.025.60 - Textiles
• Technical Committee: D30 - Composite Materials
• Drafting Committee: D30.01 - Editorial and Resource Standards

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM D3878-02 - Standard Terminology for Composite Materials
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Replaced By: ASTM D3878-03 - Standard Terminology for Composite Materials
• Effective Date: 10-Jan-2003
• Referred By: ASTM C1862-17 - Standard Test Method for the Nominal Joint Strength of End-Plug Joints in Advanced Ceramic Tubes at Ambient and Elevated Temperatures
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM E2581-14(2019) - Standard Practice for Shearography of Polymer Matrix Composites and Sandwich Core Materials in Aerospace Applications
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D7291/D7291M-22 - Standard Test Method for Through-Thickness “Flatwise” Tensile Strength and Elastic Modulus of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite Material
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D3410/D3410M-16e1 - Standard Test Method for Compressive Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials with Unsupported Gage Section by Shear Loading
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D8101/D8101M-18 - Standard Test Method for Measuring the Penetration Resistance of Composite Materials to Impact by a Blunt Projectile
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D6507-19 - Standard Practice for Fiber Reinforcement Orientation Codes for Composite Materials
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D8069-17a - Standard Test Method for Determining Flexural Modulus of Full Section Pultruded Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composite Members with Doubly Symmetric Cross Sections under Bending
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D3039/D3039M-17 - Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D7958/D7958M-17 - Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Performance for FRP Composite Bonded to Concrete Substrate using Beam Test
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM C1275-18 - Standard Test Method for Monotonic Tensile Behavior of Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Advanced Ceramics with Solid Rectangular Cross-Section Test Specimens at Ambient Temperature
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D6772/D6772M-22 - Standard Test Method for Dimensional Stability of Sandwich Core Materials
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM D4255/D4255M-20e1 - Standard Test Method for In-Plane Shear Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials by the Rail Shear Method
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002
• Referred By: ASTM E2582-21 - Standard Practice for Infrared Flash Thermography of Composite Panels and Repair Patches Used in Aerospace Applications
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2002

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn. Contact ASTM
International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation:D 3878–02a
Standard Terminology for
1
Composite Materials
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 3878; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope are commonly used precursors.
catenary:
1.1 These definitions cover generic terms, including terms
filament catenary—the difference in length of the filaments
of commercial importance, that appear in one or more stan-
in a specified length of tow, end, or strand as a result of
dards on composites containing high-modulus (greater than
6
unequal tension; the tendency of some filaments in a taut
20-GPa (3 310 psi)) fibers.
horizontal tow, end, or strand to sag lower than others.
1.2 The definitions cover, in most cases, special meanings
roving catenary—the difference in length of the ends, tows,
used in the composites industry. No attempt has been made to
or strands in a specified length of roving as a result of
include common meanings of the same terms as used outside
unequaltension;thetendencyofsomeends,tows,orstrands
the composites industry.
in a taut horizontal roving to sag lower than others.
1.3 Definitions included have, in general, been approved as
caul plate, n—a flat plate used to provide a flat surface to the
standard.
top of the laminate during laminate consolidation or cure.
2. Referenced Documents
composite:
composite material—a substance consisting of two or more
2.1 ASTM Standards:
2
materials, insoluble in one another, which are combined to
D123 Terminology Relating to Textiles
form a useful engineering material possessing certain prop-
2.2 Military Standard:
3
erties not possessed by the constituents.
MIL-HDBK-17
DISCUSSION—a composite material is inherently inhomogeneous on a
3. Terminology
microscopic scale but can often be assumed to be homogeneous on a
3.1 Definitions: macroscopic scale for certain engineering applications. The constitu-
ents of a composite retain their identities: they do not dissolve or
645° laminate—a balanced symmetric laminate composed of
otherwise merge completely into each other, although they act in
only +45° plies and −45° plies.
concert.
angleply laminate—any balanced laminate consisting of plus
continuous filament yarn, n—two or more continuous fila-
and minus theta plies where theta is an acute angle with
ments twisted into a single fiber bundle.
respect to a reference direction.
crossply laminate—a laminate composed of only 0 and 90°
balanced laminate—any laminate that contains one ply of
plies. This is not necessarily symmetric.
minusthetaorientationwithrespecttothelaminateprincipal
damage, n—in structures and structural mechanics, a struc-
axis for every identical ply with a plus theta orientation.
tural anomaly in material or structure created by manufac-
braided fabric—see braided fabric under fabric.
turing or service usage.
bundle—a general term for a collection of essentially parallel
damage resistance, n—in structures and structural mechan-
filaments.
ics, a measure of the relationship between the force, energy,
carbon fiber precursor—a material from which carbon fiber
orotherparameter(s)associatedwithaneventorsequenceof
ismadebypyrolysis.Polyacrylonitrile,rayon,orpitchfibers
events and the resulting damage size and type.
DISCUSSION—Damage resistance increases as the force, energy, or
1
These definitions are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D30 on
other parameter increases for a given size or type of damage. Con-
Composite Materials and are the direct responsibilities of Subcommittee D30.01 on
versely, damage resistance increases as damage decreases, for a given
Editorial and Resource Standards.
applied force, energy, or other parameter. Damage resistance and
Current edition approved Dec. 10, 2002. Published February 2003. Originally
damage tolerance are often confused.Amaterial or structure with high
approved in 1981. Last previous edition approved in 2000 as D3878–00.
damage resistance will incur less physical damage from a given event.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 07.01.
3 Materials or structures with high damage tolerance may incur varying
Available from ASTM International as The Composite Materials Handbook—
levels of physical damage but will have high amounts of remaining
MIL 17. Also available as MIL-HDBK-17 from Standardization Documents Order
functionality.Adamage-resistantmaterialorstructuremay,ormaynot,
Desk, DODSSP, Bldg. 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-
5094 be considered damage tolerant.
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