Composite Material Definition

According to NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use, composite materials are defined as:

"Structural materials of metals, ceramics, or plastics with built-in strengthening agents which may be in the form of filaments, foils, powders, or flakes of a different compatible material."

NASA's interest in composite materials is as follows:

Exhaustive Interest : Physical and mechanical properties, production, handling, testing, and evaluation of composite materials for use in aircraft, rockets, launch vehicles, space vehicles, reentry vehicles, aircraft and spacecraft propulsion systems, and supporting facilities.

Selective Interest : Research and development on composite materials having potential aerospace applications.

Negative Interest : Routine developments of structural composite materials for use in housing, heavy industry, and earthbound transportation, unless a potential exists for aerospace use.

That right, NASA is not interested in composite materials used in "eathbound transportation..." Who knew? Perhaps they would be interested in a $150 edge-of-space camera?

Source: nasa.gov

Photo Credit: NASA Aug 2007

Composite Armor Updates

He are some of the of the latest on composite armor:

BAE Systems Security & Survivability announced they will be supplying the composite armor kits for 1,780 new military line haul tractors. More Info

In a separate announcement, BAE signed an agreement with Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA), located in Rock Island, Illinois. This government agency will be working with BAE to provide the manufacturing of composite armor. More Info

Here is an interesting article about the M-ATV program and Oshkosh, It seems the military is going to order 10,000 of these vehicles (already have ordered 2,000). All of which will be fit with composite armor from Plasan.

Finally, here is an article about a recent military show in China. The People's Liberation Army showed off UAVs, weapons, and combat vehicles. The article states:

"The Type-99G MBT is the most modern variant of the new Type-98/99 series first seen in the 1999 parade. Improvements include an upgraded turret with detachable and upgradable composite armor, use of explosive reactive armor, plus improved engine and targeting systems."

I wonder what type of composite materials China is using?

Photo Credit: Army.mil via flicker

Composite Road Mats - For Oil Fields

The US consumes a ton of oil, far more then we produce, and according to a DOE EIA Report, the US imports about 2/3'rds of the oil consumed, with Canada providing the largest portion of oil to the US. As of June 2009, the US was consuming 2 million barrels of Canadian Oil, or Alberta Tea as I like to call it...

To get these 2 million barrels a day to pipelines, massive temporary roads are constructed, going over the difficult terrain of the tundra and swampy bogs. Giant 8' x 15' mats are placed together to create a road. These roads have massive trucks with heavy loads going back and forth over uneven ground. Needless to say, these mats take a serious beating.

Traditionally, mats are made with thick planks of wood and steel frames. These however are extremely heavy, and do not last as long as desired. More recently, composite materials are being introduced using light weight sandwich panels. The requirements are not easy as the panels need to be stiff, withstand wear and impact, and be able to connect to other panels.

Here is a recent article from the Oil & gas inquirer, describing a composite road mat system using a polypropylene honeycomb core and FRP skins. The article also discusses alternative methods to constructing these roads using wood chips over geotextile mats...

Photo Credit: jakesmome via flicker

Biomimicry of Composite Materials

Biomimicry is known as "the process of understanding and applying biological principles to human designs". It is a method of understanding why something works so well in nature, and then applying the reasoning to something man made.

Here is an example, researchers are trying to develop a robot to climb walls, instead of reinventing the wheel, researchers will study a gecko, to learn how it is able to climb walls so well, and then try to copy those features. (Geckos have a hard time filing patents)

Above is a video describing this exact example.

In composite structures and composite materials, there is much researchers and scientists could learn by first looking at nature. US News reports here:

To help wind turbines advance further, scientists are looking into morphing blades, which can rapidly change their aerodynamic profile to best suit the prevailing wind conditions.

"The idea was born from a simple observation of a fish in an aquarium," said researcher Asfaw Beyene, a mechanical engineer at San Diego State University. "Many flying and swimming animals have superior efficiencies than manmade devices. The primary difference between natural motion and motion of manmade devices is lack of geometric adaptability to varying flow conditions."

In another current study, which can be read here, researchers are trying to determine how a naturally occurring composite, teeth, can be so well adjusted to high impact and abrasion. They hope that what they discover will lead to better composite materials for aircraft and automotive components.

What other composite products or composite materials could benefit from biomimicry?

Three Words.... Fiber Reinforced Plastics!

I'm sure everyone has seen this before, but for anyone in the composite material or plastics industry, it is worth seeing again.