Fundamentals of Fibre Reinforced Composite Materials

Fibre reinforced composite materials are showing sustained growth in an ever widening range of applications from food trays to spacecraft as well as contributing to resolving environmental problems, including enabling the forthcoming hydrogen economy to be realised. This second edition of Fundamentals of Fibre Reinforced Composite Materials has been fully updated throughout, providing an authoritative and modern introduction to the topic with a brief history of composite development, a review of composite applications, manufacture and markets, types of fibres and matrices used, and their properties with a detailed introduction into the computer simulation of composite behaviour. With extensive sets of sample problems accompanying each chapter, this book is ideally suited to undergraduate and graduate students of materials science, structural, mechanical, and aeronautical engineering, polymer science, metallurgy, and other courses. It will also be of use as a reference to researchers and engineers working with composite materials and material scientists in general. Features: Presents thorough discussions on composite history, composite applications and markets, types of fibres and resins used, and their respective properties Relates mathematical concepts to the structure of the material under discussion leading to the quantitative evaluation of safety factors Provides numerous sets of sample problems in each chapter