Composites - Definition and Overview

Composite materials (or composites for short) are engineering materials made from two or more components. One component is often a strong fibre such as fiberglass, quartz, kevlar or carbon fibre that gives the material its tensile strength, while another component (often called a matrix) is often a resin such as polyester or epoxy that binds the fibres together and renders the material stiff and rigid.

Examples of composite materials:

• Fibre reinforced plastics:
  • Glass-fibre reinforced plastic or GRP
  • Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic or CRP (see carbon fiber)
• Metal matrix composites or MMCs:
  • cermet (ceramic and metal)
• Ceramic matrix composites:
  • concrete
• Reinforced carbon-carbon (carbon fibre in a graphite matrix)
• Chobham armour (see composite armour)
• plywood
• Weatherbest