chapter 1(composites)

Question 1

what’s carbon fibre made from/ how is the material put together?

Answer 1

• made from very thin fibres, about 0.005-0.010mm in diameter and made mostly from carbon atoms
• several thousand fibres can be twisted together to form a thread which can either be used on its own or woven to form a fabric

Question 2

what are the matting/strands in carbon fibre combined with?

Answer 2

a resin known as the matrix- most commonly an epoxy resin to form a new engineered material

Question 3

what’s the combination of weight and a high tensile strength in carbon fibre composites ?

Answer 3

known as high strength to weight ratio- meaning that it’s strong compared to its weight

Question 4

9 uses of carbon fibre

Answer 4

• golf club shafts
• skis
• bike frames
• yacht/ power boat hulls
• racket frames
• fishing rods
• helicopter rotor blades
• aircraft fuselage
• musical instrument bodies

Question 5

carbon fibre pros (4)

Answer 5

• high strength to weight ratio
• high tensile strength
• weave of cloth can be chosen to max. strength/ stiffness of final component
• can be woven in different patterns for aesthetics

Question 6

carbon fibre cons (3)

Answer 6

• costly
• weak when compressed
• small air bubbles can cause weakness in parts and reduce overall strength

Question 7

what’s glass reinforced plastic made of?

Answer 7

• a plastic reinforced with fine fibres made of glass
• commonly known as fibreglass
• polyester resin or epoxy resin (both thermosetting plastics) are used as the matrix

Question 8

what are the properties of glass reinforced plastic ? (3) (the resin, glass fibre+ combination of them)

Answer 8

• resin is strong in compression+ weak in tension
• glass fibres are strong in tension but have little compressive strength
• both materials combined have resistance to tensile and compressive forces

Question 9

6 uses of glass reinforced fibre

Answer 9

• boat hulls
• canoes
• car body panels
• chemical storage tanks
• septic tanks
• train canopies

Question 10

pros of glass reinforced glass (8)

Answer 10

• lightweight
• low maintenance
• lots of colours
• can be formed into almost any 3D shape
• good strength-to-weight ratio
• surface textured can be added
• durable
• good resistance to UV light+sea salt

Question 11

7 cons of glass reinforced plastic

Answer 11

• difficult to repair
• takes time
• labour-intensive process
• extraction required as toxic materials involved
• dust produced can be dangerous
• requires a mouldy to be produced
• resins/catalysts have limited shelf life