Abstract
Composites are materials made from two or more components that are constructed to take advantage of the combination of properties o«ered by the components. Conventional composite structures have a long history in the development of materials with useful and oµen unique properties. An important historical example is the mixture of clay and straw used to build adobe structures. ¡e clay provides a high-volume solid matrix, whereas the straw reinforces the brick against fracture. Modern examples of composites include carbon ¢ber composites used in structures that range from advanced aircraµ to tennis rackets, ¢berglass that is used for relatively strong yet lightweight structures such as boat hulls, Portland concrete, which is composed of a combination of Portland cement, sand, rock, and water, “carbon black” particles in automobile tires which increase wear resistance, and reinforced concrete, where the metal rebar helps stabilize the structure against fracture under shear stress.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Handbook of Nanoscience, Engineering, and Technology |
Subtitle of host publication | Third Edition |
Publisher | CRC Press |
Pages | 513-544 |
Number of pages | 32 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781439860168 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781439860151 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2012 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- General Engineering
- General Materials Science
- General Physics and Astronomy