2010 – 15 – Utilizing Composites

1m

Composites are a combination of materials and therefore have a lot of potential application possibilities. Brick was likely the first composite: It combines clay and straw. Today, composites are divided into two types: Structural and advanced composites.

Structural composites contain common materials. Examples include concrete reinforced with steel rods and safety glass that has plastic sandwiched between two panes of glass. As technology advances, more composites are made possible. Tennis rackets, for example, have fibers of graphite encased in resin.

It’s important to be aware, though, that composites can be costly to create. Furthermore, because they are a combination of two different materials, each with their own properties, composite behavior can be difficult to predict.