The best of both worlds
Composite materials
Composite materials are made up of different constituent materials, eg concrete, fibre glass and chipboard. They are used in all sorts of things, in high-performance cars, helicopters, ships, aircraft, spacecraft, buildings, nature?? pretty much everywhere.
They can combine the best properties of their constituents, for example, the stones in concrete are strong, and the cement holds them together, and stops them falling apart. Good composite materials (such as Carbon Fibre) can also be lighter and / or stronger than their non-composite counterparts (such as metals).
Bristol University is working on improved composite materials, and trying to get a better understanding of how they behave, and how to use them.
In the Aerospace department, we are looking at composites such as Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP), which is about twice as stiff as Aluminium (in one direction) and almost 40% lighter. This is what is currently used in F1 cars, spacecraft, aeroplanes and helicopters.
Submitted by: Luca Cecchini, 06 April 2003
