Composite Materials

Question 1

What is a Composite Material

Answer 1

A material comprised of 2 or more different materials resulting in a material of enhanced properties.

Question 2

What are Composite Materials Made up of

Answer 2

Reinforcement + Matrix = Composite

Question 3

Physical/Mechanical Properties of Composites

Answer 3

• Ability to be moulded into a variety of 3D forms
• Enhancement of physical and/or mechanical properties
• Ease of manufacture for some uses against traditional materials
• Improved product performance.

Question 4

Examples of Composite Materials to be aware of

Answer 4

• Carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP)
• Glass reinforced plastic (GRP)
• Tungsten carbide
• Aluminium composite board
• Concrete, including reinforced concrete
• Fibre cement
• Engineered wood, eg glulam (glued laminated timber).

Question 5

What is Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) and what are its qualities (+ uses)

Answer 5

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer, carbon fibre reinforced plastic or carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP or often simply carbon fibre, carbon composite or even carbon), is an extremely strong and light fibre-reinforced plastic which contains carbon fibres.

• Bicycle Frames
• Tennis Raquets

Question 6

What is Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) and what are its qualities (+ uses)

Answer 6

It is a composite material or fibre-reinforced polymer made of a plastic reinforced by fine fibers made of glass. Like carbon fibre reinforced plastic, the composite material is commonly referred to by the name of its reinforcing fibres (fiberglass).

• Boat Hulls
• Sports Car Bodies

Question 7

What is Tungsten Carbide and what are its qualities (+ uses)

Answer 7

Dibond aluminium composite panels feature two thin sheets of Aluminium enclosing a Polyethylene core. They can be used in a huge range of applications, they are lightweight but strong and the extremely flat surface is great for printing high quality graphics or text.

• Drill Bits
• Router Bits

Question 8

What is Concrete (including reinforced concrete) and what are its qualities (+ uses)

Answer 8

Reinforced concrete (RC) is a composite material in which concrete’s relatively low tensile strength and ductility are counteracted by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ductility

• Buildings
• Bridges
• Driveways

Question 9

What is Fibre Cement and what are its qualities (+ uses)

Answer 9

Fibre cement is a composite building and construction material, used mainly in roofing and facade products because of its strength and durability. One common use is in fibre cement siding on buildings

• Suspended floors
• Complex geometric shapes

Question 10

What is Engineered Wood and what are its qualities (+ uses)

Answer 10

Engineered wood, also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board, includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers or boards of wood, together with adhesives, or other methods of fixation to form composite materials.

• Beams
• Bridges
• Decking

Question 11

What is Concrete made up of?

Answer 11

• Course Aggregate
• Fine Aggregate (Sand)
• Cement
• Water
• Admixture

Question 12

How strong is concrete?

Answer 12

• Strong material but could crack when load is applied
• Limited strength when spanning a gap

Question 13

What does shuttering (for concrete) allow for?

Answer 13

• Shuttering allows you create a bespoke size that you need (i.e, for a garden shed)
• Shuttering can also be used in a space where it is impossible to fit a prefabricated part into the space where it’s require

Question 14

What are the benefits of prefabrication with concrete

Answer 14

• A lot of metal building structures are made off-site, meaning the building can be put up very quickly. (Prefabrication)
• Prefabrication is what makes buildings so quick to manufacture in the modern day.
• If lots of parts are coming from specialist factories, the parts (i.e concrete blocks) will go through quality assurance (and therefore be of a higher quality)
• Stairs for example, can also be prefabricated (and architects could chose from various different prefabricated templates/layouts -> cheaper as a result)
• Some buildings may have unique shapes, meaning you can’t use a prefabricated template. Instead, you can create shuttering onsite to then your the concrete into, to get a unique solution.

Question 15

Does concrete require maintenance?

Answer 15

Concrete doesn’t require much maintenance, if any.

Question 16

How would you give concrete a glossy finish

Answer 16

To give concrete a glossy finish, you’d need a smooth, glossy mould.

Question 17

Properties of Concrete

Answer 17

• Particle based composite
• Exact properties are determined by the mix
• Can be moulded into complex shapes
• Can be used in situ or prefabricated
• Needs to be reinforced if used to span large gaps
• Very stable material
• Uniform structure / strength can be achieved
• Can be used to create durable furniture

Question 18

What is Aluminium Composite Board (+ what is it generally used for)

Answer 18

Aluminium Composure is a high-performance composite material consisting of two aluminium sheets bonded to an extruded polyethylene core.

It is mainly used for cladding on modern buildings (or can be added onto old buildings to give them a newer look).