Orthotropic Material

Orthotropic materials have two or more planes of symmetry, and along these different planes, they carry a different set of properties. This means, depending upon the direction we are speculating their properties, each observation will lead to a completely different result. Also, each set of properties that you obtain from one direction of the material is independent of the property from another plane.

Orthotropic Material

Orthotropic materials show a distinctive set of properties for each direction in which they are placed. These minerals bear properties that are entirely different for all three perpendicular axes. These properties of orthotropic materials are not dependent on each other and are unique.

Orthotropic substances do not have the same mechanical and thermal properties for each particle taking over the body in a particular direction.  

Orthotropic properties for material are taken along the three axes of the symmetry for that object. These three axes of symmetry or direction for the object are along the tangent of the object, along the object’s radius, and along the diameter of that object. 

The properties of these materials consistently change with the change in the direction in which they are being measured. 

Orthotropy is the property of an orthotropic material that resides within the material or the body, not on its surface. These properties vary with each point taken over the object and are each of different symmetry. 

Usually, the orthotropy of orthotropic materials is shown as three perpendicular axes normal to each other. At all these three axes, the orthotropic material will show distinctive properties of the same material. These properties of orthotropic materials are dependent on the geometry along which you want to find out those properties. 

The properties at each point of an orthotropic material are the same only if that material happens to be homogenous. In that case, all the properties for that object in each direction or plane axis will continue to be the same.

Orthotropic Material Example

• Plywood: Plywood is made of plies stacked over each other and polished to a great extent. As the plywood is polished to bring out a smooth finish in every direction, the particles in those places start to gain orthography because of the changes in property factors over those areas. 

• Wood: Wood happens to be a perfect example of orthotropic materials. At any point of the given piece of wood, three mutually perpendicular axes can be drawn for any particle taken as origin. That particle will demonstrate different properties based on the axes and direction in which it is placed. 

• Heterogeneous materials: The materials made from doping one material with the other in a specific proportion are called heterogeneous materials. As various particles are present in the body, each having a different property, these particles will also show other properties towards perpendicular axes.

• Steel sheets: Steel sheets also happen to be orthotropic materials examples. Steel sheets are formed by overlapping many thin metal sheets together, smoothing the surface, and polishing it clean. The metal sheets are overlapped in multiple directions. And that is enough to make any particle at a point possess different properties when taken along different directions.

• Spherical and hollow spherical bodies: These bodies give different properties for a point on the object when the direction is taken along the three mutually perpendicular axes. These perpendicular axes might be along the tangent, diameter, or radius of that body. 

Orthotropic And Anisotropic Materials

Orthotropic materials: These materials display the different extent of property for a material at a certain point in various directions. Besides, physical quantities for these materials are quite different from those of anisotropic materials, i.e, the refractive index of these materials is much lesser than anisotropic materials. 

Anisotropic materials: These materials are the ones that have the same physical and mechanical properties as a particle that can be taken in any direction of the plane axes. These materials are dependent on the direction in which their properties are to be found. These properties must be the same in all directions for a given point. 

Conclusion

The orthotropic materials have different physical, thermal, and mechanical properties for a point taken in any three plane axes. The extent of variation of these properties significantly affects the object’s physical characteristics. In the case of orthotropic materials, these properties are bound to vary with each change in the direction of plane axes for the particle.