With hobbyist sites like this one and others it’s easy to forget that composites cover more than carbon fiber or fiberglass covered in epoxy. Theres actually many more combinations like metal ceramic composites. It makes me wonder where composites are headed. I personally think that composites will eventually become the goto material of the future since they can be tailored to specification and designed so precisely.
What do you think? I’m curious to hear your thoughts
Metal matrix, nano composites on many levels (health monitoring, thermal conduction, toughened epoxies), interlayer toughing composites, integrated multi-use systems, like embedding fiber optics, and electrical circuits, adding electrospun materials into composite systems, and PMMA for toughened bullet resistance. Don’t get me started on all the work done with impact resistance and modeling for composites. Ballistics is over looked all the time, but trust me, it is a MAJOR research head!!! Tape and tow placement with robotic systems, using many areas of bonding (laser, RF induction, IR heating, etc) There are tons of areas of research on just material characterization. Epoxies, fabrics, processes etc. Composites is heading everywhere. But in the end, it all depends on pricing of raw materials. People have been working with traditional composites since the 50s or earlier…people don’t get up and go with it due to pricing.
yadda yadda yadda…i can go on for years 