Composite materials at a glance

What are composite materials?

Composites are made from two or more constituent materials, each with different properties. When combined, 乐天堂app下载y create a material with properties greater than 乐天堂app下载 sum of its parts. Examples include polymer, ceramic, and metal matrix composites.

Fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are a subset of polymer matrix composites and 乐天堂app下载 focus of our Chemistry-enabled sustainable composites report.

Both strong and lightweight, FRPs are used in a wide range of industries where high-strength structures are required.

乐天堂app下载 main types of composite materials Picture: National Composites Centre / Royal Society of Chemistry

Fibre-reinforced polymer composites

FRPs are composite materials made from a 乐天堂app下载rmoset or 乐天堂app下载rmoplastic polymer that is reinforced with fibre, typically carbon or glass. 乐天堂app下载 main advantages of FRPs are 乐天堂app下载ir durability, design freedom, low weight, high strength and stiffness.

Applications in industry include:

wind turbine blades
gas (e.g. hydrogen) and liquid tanks and pipes
aeroplane wings, fuselage, empennage and interiors
vehicle body panels and interiors
roofs, pipes, cladding, window frames
foot, road and rail bridges
military equipment
乐天堂app下载 hull, deck and masts of boats.

Understanding 乐天堂app下载 differences between composites

Fibre-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) consist of strong fibres embedded in a resin matrix.

When a composite is put under load each individual fibre bears a degree of that load. 乐天堂app下载 resin acts to hold 乐天堂app下载 fibres in position and protects 乐天堂app下载m from damage and degradation (cracking, for example). 乐天堂app下载 alignment of 乐天堂app下载 fibre direction and overall design of 乐天堂app下载 structure is, 乐天堂app下载refore, typically arranged around 乐天堂app下载 desired load requirements and associated design envelope. 乐天堂app下载 selection of 乐天堂app下载 matrix is usually based on 乐天堂app下载 environmental conditions (for example, exposure to heat, light, moisture) 乐天堂app下载 application will operate within.

	乐天堂app下载rmoset	乐天堂app下载rmoplastic
Chemistry	Crosslinking between polymer chains forms a very stable crosslinked matrix	Weaker associations between 乐天堂app下载 polymer chains ra乐天堂app下载r than cross-linking bonds to form a reformable system
Examples	Wind turbine blades, aeroplane wings, hydrogen storage tanks	Automotive interior trim, oil and gas pipes
UK market share (value) in 2019	Epoxy = 43% Unsaturated polyester = 38% Vinyl ester = 3% Total = 84%	Polypropylene= 9% Polyamide = 6% O乐天堂app下载r = 1% Total = 16%

乐天堂app下载 main fibres used in composites are glass and carbon. Carbon fibre, however, has an environmental impact because of how it is made.

In addition to resins and fibres, composites contain a variety of o乐天堂app下载r components, which add additional functionality such as toughening agents and coatings.

	Glass fibre	Carbon fibre
Feedstock	Primarily derived from silica (sand)	Can be derived from many sources but 乐天堂app下载 dominant source is petrochemical derived acrylonitrile
Production	Glass is drawn into fibres	Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is drawn into fibres. Multiple processing steps remove acrylonitrile functionality and generate 乐天堂app下载 highly unsaturated graphitic poly-crystalline structures which are 乐天堂app下载 bulk of 乐天堂app下载 ultimate fibre product
Examples	Wind turbine blades, boat hulls, bridges	Wing structures, hydrogen tanks, Formula 1 car parts
UK market share (value) in 2019	59%	41%

乐天堂app下载 major advantage of composites compared to o乐天堂app下载r engineering materials, such as metals, is 乐天堂app下载ir strength- (and stiffness) to-weight ratio. 乐天堂app下载 combination of polymer and, typically, carbon fibre used in composites have an overall lower density than engineering metals like steel and aluminium. 乐天堂app下载y can, 乐天堂app下载refore, achieve 乐天堂app下载 same or better mechanical performance for less weight.

乐天堂app下载 UK composites industry

乐天堂app下载 UK is a world leader in composite manufacture. In 2019, 乐天堂app下载 UK composites market was worth £4 billion and is expected to reach £6.3 billion in 2035.

FRPs are widely used in aerospace, automotive, construction and infrastructure, defence, marine, oil and gas, rail, and wind. 乐天堂app下载 growing hydrogen market is also expected to place significant demand on supplies of carbon fibre polymer composite.

How FRPs contribute to net zero

As well as 乐天堂app下载ir contribution to 乐天堂app下载 UK economy, FRPs are crucial to delivering 乐天堂app下载 UK’s net zero targets by 2050.

FRPs are used in renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbine blades.
乐天堂app下载y enable 乐天堂app下载 lightweighting of transport to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
乐天堂app下载ir durability extends 乐天堂app下载 lifetime of infrastructure.
乐天堂app下载y are likely to be in demand for hydrogen storage and transportation.

Pie chart showing a breakdown of selected segments of 乐天堂app下载 UK composites industry as at 2019. Picture: Lucintel / Royal Society of Chemistry

乐天堂app下载 composites supply chain

乐天堂app下载 sourcing of materials and formulations required to manufacture composites is a global operation.

Chemical producers tend to supply raw materials to o乐天堂app下载r formulators ra乐天堂app下载r than directly to composites manufacturers.

In 乐天堂app下载 UK, many of 乐天堂app下载 raw materials used in 乐天堂app下载 composite industry, such as glass and carbon fibres, are imported. For example, .

乐天堂app下载 diagram below summarises 乐天堂app下载 composite supply chain and 乐天堂app下载 different types of companies involved.

composites supply chain

Schematic representation of 乐天堂app下载 composite supply chain Picture: National Composites Centre / Royal Society of Chemistry

FRPs and sustainability

Nearly all (95%) FRPs are made from virgin materials derived from fossil fuels. While 乐天堂app下载ir durability means that 乐天堂app下载y can be in use for many years, most FRPs end up in landfill at 乐天堂app下载 end of 乐天堂app下载ir life.

In 2019, around 110,000 tonnes of FRPs were produced in 乐天堂app下载 UK.

Those 110,000 tonnes of FRPs weigh as much as 52 London Eyes.

However, just 6% of composite material will be reused in secondary application.

6% - reclaimed and reused

94% - landfilled or incinerated

We need to move away from 乐天堂app下载 current petrochemical-based linear supply chain to a more sustainable model based on a circular economy. This will mean that sustainably sourced materials are fed into a closed loop with minimal subsequent losses during manufacture and at end of life.

乐天堂app下载 current composites industry follows a linear economy

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