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A composite is a material made from two or more different materials that, when combined, are stronger than those individual materials by themselves. Simply put, composites are a combination of components. Composites are materials made by combining two or more natural or artificial elements (with different physical or chemical properties) that are stronger as a team than as individual players. The component materials don’t completely blend or lose their individual identities; they combine and contribute their most useful traits to improve the outcome or final product. Composites are typically designed with a particular use in mind, such as added strength, efficiency or durability. Some applications, such as rocket ships, probably wouldn’t get off the ground without composite materials. Composites offer many benefits. Key among them are strength, light weight, corrosion resistance, design flexibility and durability. Composites are the material of the future. They solve problems, raise performance levels and enable the development of new innovations. (Visit Benefits of Composites)

 

HIGH STRENGTH: 
Composites can be designed to be far stronger than aluminum or steel. Metals are equally strong in all directions. But composites can be engineered and designed to be strong in a specific direction.

HIGH STRENGTH RELATED TO WEIGHT:
A material’s strength-to-weight ratio – also called its specific strength – is a comparison of its strength in relation to how much it weighs. Some materials are very strong and heavy, such as steel. Other materials can be strong and light, such as bamboo poles. Composite materials can be designed to be both strong and light. This property is why composites are used to build airplanes, which need a very high strength material at the lowest possible weight. A composite can be made to resist bending in one direction. When something is built with metal, and greater strength is needed in one direction, the material usually must be made thicker, which adds weight. Composites can be strong without being heavy. Because they have very high strength-to-weight ratios, composites are a sought after material for applications where weight is paramount, such as airplanes and cars. Lighter vehicles use less fuel. Composites have the highest strength-to-weight ratios in structures today. 

HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH: 
Tensile strength refers to the amount of stress a material can handle before it breaks, cracks, becomes deformed or otherwise fails. One measure of tensile strength is flexural strength – a material or structure’s ability to withstand bending. Tensile and flexural strength are important measurements for engineers and designers. Tensile strength varies by material and is measured in megapascals (MPa). For example, the ultimate tensile strength of steel ranges from 400 to 690 MPa, while the ultimate strength of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites ranges from 1,200 to 2,410 MPa, depending on fiber orientation and other design factors.

HIGH SHEAR STRENGTH: 
Shear strength describes how well a material can resist strain when layers shift or slide. It’s important to know the maximum amount of shear stress (or force per unit area) a material can handle prior to failure. This lets engineers and designers know the amount of weight – or load – a structure can support and what may happen to the structure when forces are applied in different directions. Shear strength in composites varies based on the formulation and design.

HIGH IMPACT STRENGTH: 
Composites can be made to absorb impacts - the sudden force of a bullet, for instance, or the blast from an explosion. Because of this property, composites are used in bulletproof vests and panels, and to shield airplanes, buildings, and military vehicles from explosions.

LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURES: 
Composites are light in weight, compared to most woods and metals. Their lightness is important in automobiles and aircraft, for example, where less weight means better fuel efficiency (more miles to the gallon). Fiber-reinforced composites offer excellent strength-to-weight ratios, exceeding those of other materials. For example, carbon fiber-reinforced composites are 70 percent lighter than steel and 40 percent lighter than aluminum. Producing parts that are light weight is critical to industries such as transportation, infrastructure and aerospace.

HIGH CORROSION RESISTANCE: 
Products made from composites provide long-term resistance to severe chemical and temperature environments. Composites are often the material choice for outdoor exposure, chemical handling applications and other severe environments. Composites do not rust or corrode. There are many examples of glass fiber reinforced polymer ductwork being in service in chemical manufacturing plants for more than 25 years, operating in harsh chemical environments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Composites offer corrosion-resistant solutions for many industries, including air pollution control, chemical processing, desalination, food and beverage, mineral processing and mining, oil and gas, pulp and paper, solid waste landfill and water and wastewater treatment.

EXCELLENT DURABILITY: 
Composite structures have an exceedingly long life span. Combine this with their low-maintenance requirements and composites become the material of choice for a host of applications. How long do composites last? There is no easy answer. That’s because many of the original composite structures put in place more than 50 years ago have not yet come to the end of their lives. Composites hold up well against fatigue and are resistant to environmental factors such as U.V. damage, temperature fluctuations, moisture and chemical exposure. They also require less scheduled and unexpected maintenance.

EXCELLENT DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:
Composites retain their shape and size when they are hot or cool, wet or dry. Wood, on the other hand, swells and shrinks as the humidity changes. Composites can be a better choice in situations demanding tight fits that do not vary. They are used in aircraft wings, for example, so that the wing shape and size do not change as the plane gains or loses altitude.

LOW THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY:
Composites are good insulators - they do not easily conduct heat or cold. They are used in buildings for doors, panels, and windows where extra protection is needed from severe weather.

HIGH RESISTANCE TO FATIGUE: 
Composites are strong, allowing them to withstand repeatedly applied loads. This is particularly important for infrastructure applications such as bridge decks, which support traffic 24 hours a day. Many of the nation’s deteriorating bridges are being renovated with FRP decks, including the Broadway Bridge in Portland, Ore. Spanning the Willamette River in the heart of the Portland Harbor, the drawbridge handles 30,000 vehicles per day in addition to pedestrian traffic.

REDUCED MAINTENANCE: 
The aerospace industry provides a great example of how composites require less maintenance than competing materials. Consider Boeing’s twin-engine jet airliners: The composite tail of the Boeing 777 is 25 percent larger than the 767’s aluminum tail. But it requires 35 percent fewer scheduled maintenance hours, according to the company. This is because composites are less susceptible to corrosion and fatigue than metal.

DESIGN FLEXIBILITY:
Composites can be molded into complicated shapes more easily than most other materials. This gives designers the freedom to create almost any shape or form. Most recreational boats today, for example, are built from fiberglass composites because these materials can easily be molded into complex shapes, which improve boat design while lowering costs. The surface of composites can also be molded to mimic any surface finish or texture, from smooth to pebbly.

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PRECISE PROPERTIES:

Designers like working with composites because parts can be tailor-made to have strength and stiffness in specific directions and areas. For instance, a composite part can be made to resist bending in one direction. The strategic placement of materials and orientation of fibers allows companies to design parts and products to meet unique property requirements. Being able to address high stress and strain areas is critical in several markets, such as sports and recreation, where both high-end and everyday applications count on composites. At the elite level of competition, racing yachts in the biannual America’s Cup rely on exacting design of composite parts to carry structural loads throughout the yachts’ hulls and cross beams. By aligning fibers in various patterns laterally across skis, you can improve the torsional rigidity – the ski’s ability to resist twisting forces.

STILL GOING STRONG: 
These three composite applications showcase the material’s durability:

• The Chevrolet Corvette has been built with FRP composites since 1953. That year, 300 Corvettes were manufactured, and more than two-thirds are still around today.

• The first all-composite bridge in the United States – the No Name Creek span in Kansas – was installed nearly 20 years ago. It’s still in service and shows no signs of damage.

• In 1963, a composite gasoline tank was buried at a service station in Chicago. When it was dug up 25 years later, the tank was in good condition, showing no signs of leakage, structural distress or corrosion. Experts predicted the tank could’ve lasted another 25 years.