Aircraft grade toughened component development for ultra-high strength applications like structural items

Composite materials are made by combining reinforcement (fiber) with matrix (resin), and this combination of the fiber and matrix provides characteristics superior to either of the materials alone.

In a composite material, the fiber carries the majority of the load and is the major contributor to the material properties. The resin helps to transfer load between fibers, prevents the fibers from buckling, and binds the materials together.

Composite materials are extremely versatile. The engineer can choose from a wide variety of fibers and resins to obtain the desired material properties. Also, the material thickness and fiber orientations can be optimized for each application.

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Carbon fiber composites are here to stay in terms of future aircraft construction since significant weight savings can be achieved. For secondary structures, weight savings approaching 40% are feasible by using composites instead of light metal alloys, while for primary structures, such as wings and fuselages, 20% is more realistic. These figures can always improve but innovation is key to making composites more affordable.

The advantages of carbon fiber composites are:

  • High specific stiffness (stiffness divided by density)
  • High specific strength (strength divided by density)
  • Extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
  • X-ray transparent (due to its low molecular weight)

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