描述复合材料的性质

Why are composite materials designed?

Can any two materials form a composite?

Do all composite materials have similar properties?

NA

Science Behind the Science: 

Composites are pretty cool. A composite material is a unique material that has been created through combining different materials together. This essentially creates a superior material with its own unique characteristics. Composite materials are usually stronger due to the combination of different materials. Modern composites usually contain a structural fibre and a plastic. The fibre is the material that provides both the structure and the strength of the new product. The plastic component is the material that holds the fibre together. The two are required to build a unique material that is stronger than the two individual materials alone.  

Some examples of fibres used include: boron fibre, carbon fibre, fiberglass and natural fibre which includes wood and flax etc. Common plastics that are used include: polyester, polyurethane and polypropylene.  

Composite materials are essential to modern-day living. A common example is concrete. To construct concrete, both steel rebar and cement are needed. The steel provides the strength and the stiffness that the concrete needs to stay put. The cement would crack on its own but combined with steel, a rigid product is formed. Composite materials are usually a lot lighter, more resistant to corrosion and are pretty flexible.

You can think of composite materials in a similar way to natural selection. Desired traits are chosen to make a composite material. A composite material is the end product. It is a material that is new and unique and provides all of the desired traits. In natural selection, only the animals with the desired traits survive and thus pass on their genes to the next generation. New individuals are created with these desired traits and the cycle goes on. It is survival of the fittest. With composite materials, desired characteristics are chosen to produce desired products. These products are advantageous and thus very common nowadays.  

Composite materials are great for cars. They make them a lot lighter and as a result, fuel efficient. The cars body armour is a lot more resistant to damage and the stress of potential high winds. Modern-day cars require a lot less maintenance and have a longer lifespan than older materials. They still use the characteristics of traditional materials but combine them together to make something that is alot more durable. Other important advantages of composite materials include: their durability, flexibility, chemical resistance, high impact strength and performance and their ability to be moulded etc.