The life of a composite: Turning materials data into materials knowledge

Composite materials have experienced a boom in popularity over the last 40 years, thanks in large part to their weight saving advantages. Modern passenger aircraft, for example, may contain up to 50% composite materials, up from only 6% in the 1980s, and this trend seems set to continue. Compared to conventional materials, such as the aluminium alloys used in aerospace, composites can offer outstanding mechanical properties at lower density. However, engineering with composites can also be both expensive and time consuming, with development and qualification costs for new materials in the tens of millions, and time from conception to implementation measured in years. Engineering organizations continue to optimize composite performance, achieving further weight reductions, but also look to do so at lower cost, and with faster time to market.