Composite Materials

Abstract

Composite materials mainly represent an evolution of the science and technology of materials, since they blend the best properties of several materials resulting from the most up-to-date technologies, which empower them with outstanding physical and mechanical properties. The study of composites is a kind of philosophy of materials design aiming at enhancing both the composition of materials themselves and their structure, thus leading to a converging and interactive process. It is both a science and a technology, demanding a strict interaction between different study subjects, such as design and structural analysis, study of materials, mechanics of materials, and process engineering.

This chapter deals with all composite materials, resins, and fibers used in the reinforcement of structures. It investigates the mechanical properties of materials by analyzing their advantages and disadvantages.