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resistance to a wide range of chemical agents including
acid rain and salt spray, conditions under which metal
parts would suffer. This results in much reduced maintenance
and repair costs.
2. resilience – the ability to deform and spring
back to their original shape without major damage.
Shape memory and impact tolerance are two of the biggest
advantages of composites, particularly within the
transport industry.
3. low weight – with substantial savings in
weight over similar metal parts (25% the weight of
steel, 30% lighter than aluminium) cost savings are
noticeable with installation, handling and particularly
fuel consumption, when in service. Even greater weight
savings are achieved when two components, previously
manufactured out of steel or aluminium, are combined
in one composite structure. This also gives savings
in the installation process.
4. adhesive and coating compatibility – since
composites and adhesives/coatings share a similar
polymeric make-up, they are widely compatible with
one another.
5. thermal properties – composite structures
act as very good insulators, whilst retaining their
shape while not becoming brittle in cold temperatures.
6. strength – comparable to aluminium and steel,
strength characteristics of many materials can be
reproduced through research and development with reinforcements,
eg. glass.
7. innovative designs which were previously impractical
can be achieved with composites with no loss in performance
or strength.
8. safety – fibre-reinforced composites are
low in electrical conductivity and are efficient fire
retardants, which makes them a good choice for covering
electrical parts.
9. reduced cost – effective techniques have
been developed which produce a post-mould paint-finish
type surface which requires no further processing,
thus eliminating the need for time consuming and expensive
finishing. For composites which have been designed
to be painted, the part manufacture can include allowances
for a surface finish suitable for the keying-in and
adhesion of the finish. |
