1.

9 APPLICATION OF COMPOSITES

Commercial and industrial applications of fibre reinforced composites are diverse and varied.
Some of these applications are ships and submarines, aircrafts and spacecrafts, trucks and rail
vehicles, automobiles, robots, civil engineering structures and prosthetic devices. The main
application areas may be broadly classified as follows
1. Marine field
2. Aircraft and space
3. Automotive
4. Sporting goods

1.9.1 Marine Field

Use of composites in the marine field is growing steadily since the early 1950s. Initial
applications of FRPs were limited to small crafts such as lifeboats and pleasure boats. Now, structures
of
several hundred tonnes
regularly
are
produced and used. Potential applications in the marine ficld
range from small components such as radar domes, masts, and piping to large-scale structures.
,
submersibles and offshore structure modules
Glass reinforced plastics (GRP) are extensively used in the construction of boat hulls including
vachts, lifeboats, dinghies, canoes, speed boats, fishing boats and passenger launches. The popularity
of GRP with boat builders lies in its competitive low cost (in comparison to wooden hulls), a trouble-
free performance, low maintenance cost and aesthetics.
 14 Mechanics of Composite Materials and Struclures
hovercrafts. Feasibility
studies have
and commercial in place of steel
been successfully used in military
u has using hybrid glass/carbon laminates
in hull weight by Construction of a GRp
e a Substantial savings of hydrofoils and fast patrol boats,
and auminium for the construction
works out to be cheaper.
Vesse! proves to be costly, but their maintenance
construction l1.9
craf and boats have advanced composite
nrd-high performance sailing power
of corrosive
as transportation
be constructed for special purposes, such
FRP Vessels may of considerable savings in
o u i k carg0, requirement non-magnetic hull or requirement
of a
weight for better performance.
vessels (MCMV), Janding craft, fast
vaval applications of FRP include mine countermeasure where a hull with
patrol boats and submersibles. GRP has found a favourable application in MCMVs
negligible magnetic signature is required in order to avoid the activation of magnetic mines.
Additional developments in naval application include weapon enclosures, gun enclosures, rudders,
dock shelters, missiles, blast shields, ladders, deck drains, rails, radomes, masts and stacks.

FRP is used in sub1r arines for flooded nose fairings using planes and non-pressure hull decks. A
Specific requirement for an underwater vessel is that of high specific compressive strength. Care
should be exercised while designing to check failure
and
against buckling, under fatigue and impact loads
against creep. GRP submersibles have been successfully used in offshore
Other marine
operations.
applications of FRP include submarine casings and appendages, superstructure of
ships, warship radomes, sonar domes, ship's piping and ventilation
tanks, floats and buoys for fishing and mine systems, oil and water storage
sweeping purpose.
Hull-superstructure interaction can be avoided by using
The elastic modulus of GRP is a low modulus material like the GRP.
less than 10% that of
comparable with that of steel. steel, while the strength of the GRP is
GRP sheathing is used to protect wooden hulls from
made by one or two
plies of CSM attached bores, leakage and rot. Sheathing is a cover
by polyester or epoxy resin.
1.9.2 Aircraft and
Space
and
Optimally aircraft requires a reduction in
an

fibre-reinforced composite have been found toweight

to attain
greater speed and increased
purpose. No doubt for onepayload
most important be ideal for this
application areas of FRP is in the
either alone or in the
hybridized condition is usedfield of civil and of the
and Kevlar have become for
commercial aircrafts. Carbon fibres
the major
material
a
large number of aircraft
components. They are also used used in
wing, fuselage components. Carbon
stabilizers, upper rudder et al., of in secondary structures many such as elevator and
empennage
many commercial
FRP with epoxy as the resin is aircrafts. facesheets, horizontal
used for
reasons why FRP is
used for rotor blades is the manufacture of
of the blade to its the ability of helicopter blades. One of the main
with this material, operating parameters. FRPs are more
the material to tailor the
blades of any shape
which does not hold good for metal can be manufactured
suitable for blade dynamic frequency
machined or rolled. blades whose application than metals, as
without any additional
shapes are cost, an
limited to those which advantage
missile structure, when
A can be extended,
Dayload. A missile structure mademade
or
or rR 1s
light, and has an
and other missile Fk reauces the increased range of action
weight. systems, graphite comp0SIEs are usedweight of the structure ana
There is
for its
high stiffness,considerably. In ICBMs
a wide variation of strength and minimum
temperature in spa
space and as
such the
dimens
dimensional stability of
 Introduction to Composite Materials 15

spacecratt components to maintain precise alignment of communication and sensor systems is a major
requirement. Graphite and Kevlar fibres are well suited for space applications because of their high
specific strength and modulus and low coefficient of thermal expansion. Strength and stiffness of
composites are major considerations for the aircraft whereas stiffness and low coefficient of thermal
expansion are the major requirements for space applications.
Some of the application areas of FRP to spacecraft are antennas, booms, support trusses and
struts. Carbon-epoxy composite tubes are used in constructing truss structures for Low Earth Orbit
LEO) satellites and interplanetary satellites.

1.9.3 Automotive Field

FRPs have been used in many parts of the car.
The exterior part of the car such as hood or door panels requires sufficient stiffness. The other
requirement is that it should offer maximum resistance to dent formation (damage tolerance). Resins
like polyeurathanes enable the damage tolerance to be limited to acceptable values. Further, a good
surface finish is highly desirable.
Application of FRPs include the chassis components as well, such as corvette rear leaf spring
and unileaf E-glass reinforced epoxy.
In racing cars, parts of the engines are made of graphite-epoxy. Connecting rods which are
subjected to fatigue are now made of composites for better performance. Other parts of the engine
where composites are used are push rods, rocker arms, pistons, cylinder leads and engine blocks. The
advantage of using advanced composites in engines is higher speed with the production of more
power and the simultaneous reduction of engine weight.
Use of FRP components in automotive industries is much less than the aircraft industries. For
aircraft components, the basic technique used for manufacture is the hand lay-up, whereas in
automotive industries more sophisticated techniques of fabrication such as compression moulding,
resin transfer moulding, filament winding and pultrusion are used.

1.9.4 Sporting Goods

Many sporting goods are made of FRPs nowadays. One of the major advantages of using FRP is
the reduction of weight.
Tennis rackets or snow skis are made as a sandwich structure - FRP with carbon or boron fibre

as the skin and the core formed by soft and light urethane foam which enables the structure to have a
weight reduction without any decrease in stiffness
FRPsenabledamping of vibrations. Therefore, shock resulting from the impact of the ball on the
tennis racket which is transmitted to the arm of the player will dampen out at a quicker rate.
Other application areas of fibre reinforced polymers in sports are fishing rods, bicycle frames,
archery bows, sail boats and kayaks, oars, paddles, canoe hulls, racket balls, rackets, javelins, helmets,
golf club staff, hockey sticks, athletic shoe soles and hels, surfboards and many other items.