We live in an era of rapid change, where technological advances are rapidly transforming the landscape. The pace of innovation in new materials technologies is accelerating.
Single materials often cannot meet humanity's diverse performance requirements, making the shift to composite materials an inevitable trend.
Thriving in this environment, composite materials have seen explosive market growth, with an increasing emphasis on eco-friendly features such as sustainability, low carbon footprint, high performance and recyclability.
So, which materials are considered to have the greatest potential for development by industry experts? Today, we'll explore seven composite materials with significant potential.
1. High-performance carbon fiber and its composites
Nicknamed the “king of lightness”, carbon fiber has a density less than a quarter of that of steel, while offering 5 to 7 times more resistance. It also has desirable qualities such as high temperature resistance, friction resistance, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance.
The main function of carbon fiber is to serve as reinforcement in composites with resins, metals, ceramics and carbon to create advanced materials.
Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites, in particular, have the highest specific strength and modulus among current engineering materials.
With a diameter of just 5 microns – about one-tenth to one-twelfth the width of a human hair – carbon fiber's strength exceeds that of aluminum alloys by more than four times.
Compared to aluminum alloy structures, carbon fiber composites can achieve weight reductions of 20% to 40%; versus steel metal parts, the weight savings can be an impressive 60% to 80%.
2. High performance para-aramid fiber and its composites
Para-aramid fiber is an extremely important strategic material, with strength 5 to 6 times greater than steel wire and specific modulus 2 to 3 times greater than that of steel or fiberglass. Its toughness is twice that of steel, but it weighs only about a fifth.
It can be used both as a structural material that supports loads and as a functional material that offers heat resistance, ablation resistance and corrosion resistance.
It is one of the most produced organic fibers in the world, known for its high modulus, high strength, tolerance to high temperatures, resistance to acids and alkalis and lightweight properties.
The main applications of high-performance para-aramid fiber and its composites include fiber reinforcement, automotive industry, aerospace, electrical equipment, railway transportation, military protection, sporting goods and new energy sectors.
In recent years, China's research and development in para-aramid fibers has achieved significant breakthroughs, overcoming numerous technical barriers.
3. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber and its composites
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE), together with carbon fiber and aramid fiber, is known as one of the top three high-tech fibers in the world. It is the fiber with the highest specific strength and modulus available, spun from polyethylene with molecular weights ranging from 1 to 5 million.
Thanks to its light weight, high strength and superior energy absorption, UHMWPE fiber is gradually replacing aramid fibers as the preferred choice in personal ballistic protection.
4. Carbon/carbon composite materials
Carbon/carbon composite materials, which are carbon matrix composites reinforced with carbon fiber and fabric, have exceptional characteristics such as light weight, excellent ablation resistance, good thermal shock resistance, high temperature resistance and strong designability. They are considered one of the most promising high-temperature materials for the future.
Due to their unique properties, carbon/carbon composites have found wide applications in the aerospace industry, the automotive industry and medicine.
Examples include rocket engine nozzles and throat liners, thermal protection systems for spacecraft nose caps and wing edges, and aircraft brake discs.
5. Basalt Fiber Reinforced Composites
Basalt fibers have high strength and rigidity, resistance to high temperatures and corrosion, in addition to being lightweight.
Compared to other composite materials, they offer advantages such as biodegradability, non-toxicity and environmental friendliness, which has earned them the title of “green industrial material” of the 21st century. They have significant application value in the aerospace, military and road transport sectors.
6. Carbon/Ceramic Composite Materials
Carbon/ceramic composite materials combine high strength, modulus, hardness, impact resistance, oxidation resistance, high temperature tolerance, acid and alkali resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion and low density of high-performance ceramics.
They constitute a new type of high-temperature structural and functional material capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1650°C.
Furthermore, these composites overcome the brittle nature and limited functionality typical of ceramic materials in general, making them widely recognized as ideal structural and friction materials for high temperatures.
Carbon/ceramic composites are widely used in the aerospace, defense, energy, automotive and high-speed rail industries. They are recognized as the most ideal high-temperature friction and structural materials in the latest generation of aircraft and automobile braking systems, and are also considered the pinnacle of performance in current brake materials.
7. Metal Matrix Compounds
Metal matrix composites consist of metals and their alloys as a matrix, artificially combined with one or more metallic or non-metallic reinforcing phases. They are an important branch of modern composite materials.
Mechanically characterized by high transverse and shear strength, these composites have excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, such as toughness and fatigue resistance.
Furthermore, they offer thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, wear resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion, good cushioning properties, moisture resistance, non-aging and pollution-free advantages.
Its exceptional performance has led to wide applications in the aerospace, automotive, electronics and machine manufacturing industries.
