Polymers and Polymer Composites

Polymers and polymer composites share the underlying properties of low density and fairly low maximum operating temperatures. This chapter gives applications of both, ranging from bottle tops to fuselages, explaining which material properties are relevant in each case. For both polymers and polymer composites significant changes in overall properties can result from the way the material is processed. The underlying reasons for this are explained. Key mechanisms which underly the properties of composites are included. It is shown how the stiffness of polymer composites varies with reinforcement type and amount. The fibre pull out mechanism, which significantly increases the toughness and hence energy absorbing capacity of fibre composites, is explained.