In the last twenty years, the market for composite materials has seen annual growth of 5% to 10%, driven mainly by consumption from emerging countries and by the construction and transport sectors of developed countries. Faced with growing and challenging demand, composites have to adapt both upstream and downstream of its manufacturing process. Explanations.
Each business sector has its composite
Made of fibres and resins, composites are an assembly of two different structures whose performance is greater than the sum of the performances of its individual components. Concretely, by playing with the matrix (for example, thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer, metal, ceramic, carbon), the additive (UV stabilizer, conductive fillers,…), the proportion, architecture and orientation of the fibres, a new composite material will be created with its own specific properties. While the aerospace and automotive sectors will be looking for a composite material that offers light weight (carbon fibre reduces weight by 15% to 20% and thereby reduces consumption of jet fuel and the level of pollution), the construction sector will rather be seeking a composite with insulating and thermal properties. For fashion, sports and jewellery, these sectors more appreciate the freedom of form and design… to say nothing of wind generation, leisure, biomedical, optics, telecommunications, chemistry, military industry, which all find many benefits in composite materials.
A continually evolving material
Initially used for non-structural components (cladding), composites are also sought today in the design of large parts (fuselage, wind turbines, automobile chassis…). But the adaptations also relate to the phase upstream of production, beginning with the material itself. Different players are eagerly working on biodegradable materials – matrixes from renewable resources or vegetable fibres (hemp, bamboo…) – to find solutions to recyclability that are often lacking today, particularly with thermosetting polymers. They also need to develop high performance matrixes to meet the technical requirements of customers at the cutting edge of technology. Meanwhile, the method of manufacturing is not left out. For years, composites were used to design prototypes or limited series. It’s now necessary to offer mass production both for widely distributed products and for the electronics and automotive sectors. The automation age has therefore caught up with the composite world, resulting in an adaptation of manufacturing processes, as well as the need to put more precise and rigorous control and monitoring procedures in place. At present, the new challenge is to offer integrated composite structures, designed in a single step.
Composites, once again in the limelight after a brief lull in the 2000s, is arousing keen appeal not only from the economic world, but also from academics and public authorities who are quick to set up research and investment programs. So the future looks bright for students and employees who want to become a composite materials technician, production supervisor or materials and processes manager.