Composite Material Blog

Composite Material Blog Has Moved!

2010-09-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all, the composite material blog has moved. I am now writing for About.com, part of The New York Times. Please continue to follow me and the composites industry at About Composites Thanks!

Carbon Fiber Technology Center - Oak Ridge National Laboratory

2010-05-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

In order for the full utilization of carbon fiber in automotive applications. (Which is necessary to lower weight.) The cost of raw carbon fiber needs to decrease. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is taking on this challenge using $34.7 million in DOE ARPA funding; they are establishing a Carbon Fiber Technology Center. According to their website: The center will be capable of producing up to

Cutting Kevlar with a Waterjet

2010-05-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Cutting Kevlar or any aramid fiber is no easy task. It's tenacity wears our tools and blades, while cuts are often frayed. Probably the best method for cutting laminated aramid fiber, is using a waterjet (as seen above). Although not cheap, these cuts are CNC controlled, so very accurate, and the cut edges are clean and burr free... Related Posts: Spider Web Composite Armor - Biomimicry -

Strongwell Looking at Green Composite Materials

2010-05-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

The demand for environmentally friendly materials is growing and will continue to grow. Strongwell, perhaps the world's largest pultruder, recently announced their Green Initiative. This is a fantastic move in the correct direction. Products made with composite materials are in fact environmentally friendly. Composites are inherently lightweight and non-corrosive, which is why they are used in

Defense Armor Funding - 2011 Requests

2010-04-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

2010 was a fantastic year for defense appropriations for composite companies, in particular, composite armor received substantial funding. Even though it is only April, Senators are beginning to announce their 2011 requests. Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky announced some of his requests, and looks like 2011 will be another stellar year for composite armor funding. Below are Bunning's related

JEC Composites 2010

2010-04-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the JEC composites show in Paris. This is probably the largest composites show in the world, and has become the annual meeting place for composite material companies from all corners of the globe. However, this years show may be lasting a little longer; volcanic ash from Iceland is about to shut down all the airports in Paris. The ash can damage airplane engines and

Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

2010-04-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

The clip above demonstrates why the new Joint Strike Fighter needs to be as lightweight as possible. Carbon fiber is undoubtedly playing a role in reducing the weight. I caught a fascinating NOVA episode on the competition between Lockheed and Boeing in designing the F-35. It goes into a surprising amount of detail of the composite construction and even discusses how Boeing attempted to use a

Biomimicry Adhesives

2010-04-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

Composites, which are often structurally bonded with adhesives, are always looking for a better product. So when adhesive researchers need inspiration, what better place to look then nature (Biomimicry). Some researchers have looked at shellfish, such as how mussels are able to adhere so well to wet rocks in a turbulent environment. However, recent research is looking into the sandcastle worm.

Composite Prosthetic Limbs

2010-04-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article about a company called GENER8. They have developed a composite prosthetic leg out of what appears to be carbon fiber. Unlike similar composite prosthetic legs which can cost between $700 - $5,000 each, GENER8 is shooting to provide their design at a price below $500. Their current target market is developing countries where affordable options are not currently

Wind Turbine Blade Failure

2010-04-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

I once heard a leading wind turbine expert say, "The most important advancement in wind energy was advanced breaking, and in particular, the air-brake." Breaking allows a turbine to operate in higher wind speeds; it also makes a wind turbine safer. Here is recent news of a wind blade breaking at Europe's largest onshore wind farm. I would be interested to see what the culprit was... Related

Advanced Mechanics of Composite Materials

2010-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

This came up on a web search, some good information... Related Posts: Composite Material: Composite Materials in the Winter Olympics Composite Material: Marine Industry and Composite Materials Composite Material: Airplane Bomb Protection: Composite Materials Composite Material: New Composite Building System for Haiti

Aluminum Bats vs Composite Bats

2010-04-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Composite baseball bats are gaining popularity in softball and little leagues world wide. Using carbon fiber and epoxy, these composite bats are said to have such good performance, that they are now banned for use in NCAA play. Much like other composite products, the big draw to the bats is their lightweight yet powerful capabilities. What is interesting though, is that while most composite

How to's

2010-04-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Composite Material How-to articles: How to Build a UAV How to Build a Wind Turbine Blade How to Build the 787 How to Buy Carbon Fiber How to Buy Composites How to Buy Epoxy How to Buy Fiberglass Cloth How to Cut Carbon Fiber How to Cut Fiberglass How to Cut Fiberglass Composites How to Drill Fiberglass How to Fiberglass How to Glue Fiberglass How to Mix Epoxy Resin How to Mold Carbon

Wind Turbine Interference on Radar

2010-03-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Wind farm development has seen resistance from a variety of people/groups. Some environmentalists fear the safety of bats and birds caught in the path of the blades. Local residents of potential developments fear blocked views, noise, and even flickering of shadows. Another concern, is the disruption wind turbines can have on radar. Here is a recent ABC News article discussing the Pentagon's

Composites vs Metal

2010-03-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Above is a helpful material property comparison of composites and metals. Below is an interesting graph comparing the fatigue strength of composites vs metal. Enjoy... Source: Advanced Composite Materials Technology Research Centre at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Related Articles: Composite Material: Thermoplastic Composites vs Thermoset Composites Composite

Life Cycle Assessment

2010-03-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

We have talked before about life cycle assessment (LCA) of products manufactured with composite materials. Here is a paper discussing the life cycle of a surfboard. A surfboard is more or less a composite sandwich structure. The core is either a polyurethane foam core or eps foam core. A wood stringer is added down the center for stiffness. The skins are generally woven 4oz fiberglass, often 2

DARPA Composite Armor Development

2010-03-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Some great warfighter technologies come out of the DARPA. Here is a synopsis for the development of composite armor with private company Hardwire. "In collaboration with the U.S. Army, the Hardwire® DARPA Armor program exploited unique hybrid composite materials in innovative geometries and systems

Recycled Plastic as a Building Material

2010-03-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

There are a few building materials already using recycled plastic; some composite decking products use recycled polyethylene grocery bags. The video above describes a whole new building product. Here, it appears the variety of ground up plastics are held together by a thermoset. If this is the case, the plastic will act as the reinforcement in the new composite material... Related Posts:

Bio Medical Composite Materials

2010-03-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Composites will continue to gain acceptance in the biomedical field. When compared to metals (titanium, nickle, stainless, etc) used in bio medical, composite materials have some distinct advantages. Composites are x-ray transparent allowing doctors to take less x-rays to better see injuries and how they are healing. Many patients have allergies to nickle and other alloys, which limit the

Shape Memory Composite

2010-03-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Technology Review Imagine an airplane wing that could change shape when it hits a certain speed and become more aerodynamic. Perhaps one day this will become a reality. Technology Review reports on some polymers that have multiple shape memories. Meaning, when the polymer reachers a certain temperature, it will change into a preset shape... Pretty awesome if you ask me. Related

Airplane Bomb Protection: Composite Materials

2010-03-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Dave Sizer via flicker The recent Christmas day "Underwear Bomber" failed, but what if he was successful? The folks at the Discovery Channel and the BBC put this to the test, setting off a similar explosive in a retired airframe. (You can watch the preview here.) Not only would the airframe survive, but it is thought that a next-generation aircraft built with composite materials

Recycling Composite Materials

2010-03-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

For many reasons, composite material products need to have a better solution for their end of life. Thermoset composites have difficulties in reprocessing, however thermoplastic composites are showing some promise. Technology Review discusses some breakthroughs in recycling PET, which may provide some foundation for recycling fiber reinforced PET in the future. Essentially, researchers at IBM

International Defense Use of Composite Material

2010-03-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Obviously the US Department of Defense is one of the largest customers and users of composite materials, however, as technology advancements and military budgets expand in countries such as China and India, so will the demand for composite materials. Above is a video describing how the large multi-national company ThyssenKrupp is integrating advanced composite materials into the Indian Navy.

End of Life Solution for Plastics and Polymers

2010-03-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Above is a short documentary about a trip to the great pacific garbage patch, a three part series following a voyage to a collection of plastic larger then the state of Texas. The film should create serious questions for anyone involved in the composites, plastics, or polymer industries. If one thinks about it, we come into contact with plastics constantly on a daily basis, from our

Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Composite Materials

2010-02-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

The composite industry as a whole is interested in the success of Boeing's new 787; it is one more step towards mass acceptance of composite materials. Despite all the problems and the current 28 month delay in production, in the end, the weight savings on the 787 will help contribute to a 20% fuel efficiency. Here is a great post by MIT's Technology Review on the problems and the future of the