Question

Question 1. a) Chose any TWO of the following application areas and discuss the contribution that polymer composites have made, and will make, to their success giving examples of actual products where possible: i. Automotive; ii. Aerospace; iii. Military / Defence; iv. Sport (2x7)

Answer 1

I. Application of polymer composites on Aerospace industry:

The phenomenon of static electricity is unpredictable, particularly when an aircraft flying at high altitude that causes the accumulation of static charges beyond a threshold value leading to the failure of its parts and systems including severe explosion and radio communication failure. The accumulation of static charges on aircraft is generated by the virtue of interaction between the outer surface of aircraft and the external environmental attributes encompasses air particles, ice, hail, dust, volcanic ash in addition to its triboelectric charging.

Hence polymer-based composites are preferred structural constituents for aircrafts due to their light weight and comparable mechanical properties. An increasingly important innovation in the aerospace industry is the use of polymer composite materials, as these enable designers to overcome the barriers created by using metals.

Future development:

With increasing fuel costs, commercial aerospace manufacturers are under pressure to enhance the performance of aircrafts, for which weight reduction is a key factor and polymer composites can overcome this problem.

Recent Application of polymer composite in aerospace:

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner have exploited the utilization of approximately 50% of polymer composite materials in aircrafts.The substantial increase in the utilization of composite materials based on thermoplastic and thermoset matrix are expected to impart light weight, high static strength, sufficient fatigue performance, high fracture toughness and damage tolerance, high impact energy, multifunctionality, easy design and fabrication process.

II. Application of polymer composites on Sports:

Due to the development of the modern athletic sports in the sports experts focuses on scientific training at the same time, also attaches great importance to the improvement and development of sports equipment. Because of the polymer  composite materials with light weight, high strength, large degrees of freedom of design, easy processing and forming characteristics, obtained widespread application in sports equipment.

Form of polymer composite	Applications in Specified way
Plate like structure	table tennis board, Windsurfing
Tubular structures	tennis,badminton,gulf club
sheeet structure	all kinds of helmets

Recent practical applications on sports:

1.Tennis racket:

The high, middle-grade tennis rackets in the world today are mostly made of carbon fiber composite materials,which is a polymer composite. The carbon fiber used in tennis racket at the earliest.Several companies such as the United States Chemold.

2.Golf clubs:

Shakespear companies in the United States in 1972 by filament winding legal system into a golf club, in the same year, the United States G.B rewer using CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced composite material) made the cue.

3.The bicycle:

In the mid 1980s Italy, France, Britain and the United States have developed the stick with carbon fiber tube and aluminum alloy joint for bicycle used in racing sports.