What are composites, and advanced composites?
Composites are a synergetic combination of weak plastics and stronger fibers. When used for moderate enhancement in strength and stiffness of the plastics, they may be called ‘filled plastics’. When the combination occurs as a means of deploying the strength of the fiber, then they are called ‘composites.’ In other words, if the resulting material, and the product is viewed as a plastic, and is processed similar to other plastics, then it is “filled plastic”. When the resulting product and process characteristics are dominated by the fiber properties predominantly, then it is a “composite”. Advanced composites use very long – or even continuous fibers – to give the resulting product the maximum possible orientation of properties along and across the fibers. Wood is a natural composite with distinct properties along and across fibers. Such materials, highly favored for the aircrafts, and sports goods, are very light, strong, stiff and pose special problems in material behavior in the ma
