UD tapes must be fully impregnated since there is no carrier to support the material in the transverse direction such as the paper used with thermoset prepregs. Most UD tapes are supplied in ...

Mathematicians have found that they can design a range of composite materials from moiré patterns created by rotating and stretching one lattice relative to another. Their electrical and other ...

A new composite material is finding its way into the construction industry. Made from natural stone, carbon fibers and biochar, it is an alternative to reinforced concrete. It is characterized by a ...

How do you decide on the “right” fastener type for a component or assembly involving composite and plastic materials in a time-efficient way? To define which materials and concepts a fastener type is ...

Composites have been produced for millennia. The first known use of them dates back to around 3400 BC when the Mesopotamians used glued wood strips at angles to create plywood. Other early examples ...

Imagine trying to design machines that will last forever, regardless of use or destination. Instead of those machines requiring a steady stream of spare parts (essentially impossible for space probes ...

Composite materials have revolutionized our industry, bringing outstanding performance to commonly used materials. However, designing these materials for maximum performance is not always intuitive.

Polymer science advancements are leading to a tenfold increase in plastics use in motion control components within five years. New thermoplastic composites approach metal strength and modulus but with ...

Here, Klaus Ritter, Head of the Centre of Excellence for Composites at Huntsman Advanced Materials, looks at how the company is helping to optimise the latest out-of-autoclave manufacturing techniques ...