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Composites are commonly classified at two distinct levels. The first level of classification is usually made with respect to the matrix constituent.
There are different forms of fiber Common forms of fiber reinforcement. In general, he reinforcements can be straight continuous fibers, discontinuous or chopped fibers, particles or lakes, or continuous fibers that are woven, braided, or knitted.
in structural response and corrosion resistance. Commercial applications in consumer sporting equipment in the 1960s provided a larger market, which improved design and production capabilities, established consumer familiarity and confidence, and lowered costs. Defense spending during the Cold War ensured sufficient resources for research and development of new, high-technology materials, and a market for their application. The significant number of new military aircraft, and the large numbers of systems ordered, provided an ideal environment for the development and insertion of high-performance OMCs. The energy crisis during the 1970s provided a significant incentive for the introduction of OMCs into commercial aircraft, and the successful experience in military aircraft was an important factor in their acceptance in the commercial industry. Dramatic improvements in structural efficiency became possible during this period, through the introduction due not only to a dramatic drop in materials costs, but also in advances in the ability to fabricate large, complex parts requiring far less hand labor to manually assemble. A recent example of this is the addition of large composite structures in the tail and landing gear pods on the C-17 cargo aircraft. Clearly, the applications, technology, confidence, and other considerations of high-performance OMCs have expanded dramatically since the 1980s. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this is the growing use of high-performance OMCs in the commodity market of infrastructure.