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Category
Composite materials
Summary
A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a material with properties unlike the individual elements. Within the finished structure, the individual elements remain separate and distinct, distinguishing composites from mixtures and solid solutions.
Typical engineered composite materials include:
Reinforced concrete and masonry
Composite wood such as plywood
Reinforced plastics, such as fibre-reinforced polymer or fiberglass
Ceramic matrix composites (composite ceramic and metal matrices)
Metal matrix composites
and other advanced composite materials
There are various reasons where new material can be favoured. Typical examples include materials which are less expensive, lighter, stronger or more durable when compared with common materials, as well as composite materials inspired from animals and natural sources with low carbon footprint.
More recently researchers have also begun to actively include sensing, actuation, computation, and communication into composites, which are known as robotic materials.
Composite materials are generally used for buildings, bridges, and structures such as boat hulls, swimming pool panels, racing car bodies, shower stalls, bathtubs, storage tanks, imitation granite, and cultured marble sinks and countertops. They are also being increasingly used in general automotive applications.
The most advanced examples perform routinely on spacecraft and aircraft in demanding environments.
The earliest composite materials were made from straw and mud combined to form bricks for building construction. Ancient brick-making was documented by Egyptian tomb paintings.
Wattle and daub is one of the oldest composite materials, at over 6000 years old. Concrete is also a composite material, and is used more than any other synthetic material in the world. , about 7.
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