Syllabus Application
MAT 307
Composite Materials
Faculty
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Semester
Fall 2026-2027
Course
MAT 307 -
Composite Materials
Time/Place
Time
Week Day
Place
Date
10:40-12:30
Tue
FENS-L058
Sep 28-Dec 31, 2026
14:40-15:30
Thu
FENS-L048
Sep 28-Dec 31, 2026
Level of course
Undergraduate
Course Credits
SU Credit:3, ECTS:7, Engineering:7
Prerequisites
ENS 204
Corequisites
MAT 307R
Course Type
Lecture
Instructor(s) Information
Ali Rana Atılgan
- Email: atilgan@sabanciuniv.edu
Course Information
Catalog Course Description
Constituent filler and matrix materials, manufacturing processes and applications. Review of stress transformations, stress-strain relations and generalized Hooke’s Law. Mechanical characterization of fiber reinforced composite materials. Micromechanics. Ply mechanics. Mechanics of laminates via classical lamination theory. Strength of composite materials. Failure criteria of composite materials. Design of laminated composites. Introduction to analysis of laminated composites by a commercial finite element software
Learning Outcomes:
| 1. | Classify composite materials depending on their constituents. |
|---|---|
| 2. | Describe the types and applications of constituents (fiber and matrix) for fiber reinforced polymeric composite materials |
| 3. | Describe composite manufacturing processes, identify the steps involved in material selection process of composite, and some of the items needed for production fabrication. |
| 4. | Know the stress-strain relation for linear elastic materials with different material symmetries and calculate stress, strain and modulus for a given problem of unidirectional lamina, |
| 5. | Model mechanics of a lamina, and calculate various modulus of composites from the properties of constituents through using mixture rules, |
| 6. | Model mechanics of a laminate using classical lamination theory |
| 7. | Select the variables for design of laminated composites |
| 8. | Implement failure criteria of composites in design of laminated composite structures |
Course Objective
The objective of this course is to equip students with the scientific understanding and practical skills needed to analyze and design composite materials. Design is approached as an inverse problem: selecting constituents, reinforcement architectures, and structural configurations to meet stiffness, strength, and durability requirements under geometric constraints and uncertain loading. Students connect constituent properties with lamina and laminate behavior, explore elastic coupling and tailoring, and evaluate failure, fracture, fatigue, and viscoelastic response. Applications include lifting surfaces, sandwich panels, and pressure vessels, with emphasis on using experimental evidence and simulations to assess and refine design decisions.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Related to This Course:
| Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | |
| Responsible Consumption and Production |
Course Materials
Resources:
Textbook:
Barbero, E.J., Introduction to Composite Materials, Third ed. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, 2018.
References:
Chung, D.D.L., Composite Materials, Second Ed. Springer-Verlag London, 2010.
Jones, R.M., Mechanics of Composite Materials, Second Ed. Taylor and Francis Group, 1999
Barbero, E.J., Introduction to Composite Materials, Third ed. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, 2018.
References:
Chung, D.D.L., Composite Materials, Second Ed. Springer-Verlag London, 2010.
Jones, R.M., Mechanics of Composite Materials, Second Ed. Taylor and Francis Group, 1999