Composite Materials

What are composite materials and how are they paving the way for technological advances?

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From super strong building materials to super light surfboards, composite materials are all around us and are a valuable tool for technological advances for the future.

Composite materials are formed by combining two or more materials that have quite different properties. The different materials work together as a matrix and reinforcement to create a new, composite material that might be:

 

  • super strong
  • extremely lightweight
  • extra flexible
  • a good insulator
  • a good conductor of electricity

 

Composite materials exist in nature: cellulose + lignin combine to form a very strong, flexible material – wood!