Consumer
Materials & Processes: Composites part design
Designers of composite parts can choose from a huge variety of fiber reinforcements and resin systems. That makes knowledge of how those materials work together a critically important aspect of part development. Here's a short description of what that knowledge entails.
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Materials & Processes: Fiber formats for composites
Fibers used to reinforce composites are supplied directly by fiber manufacturers and indirectly by converters in a number of different forms, which vary depending on the application. Here's a guide to what's available.
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Supply and demand: Advanced fibers
Demand for advanced fiber, virgin and reclaimed, is on an upswing after a dip during the recent recession. Fiber suppliers are gearing up to meet an expected increase in demand as manufacturers in a number of composites end-markets scale up or start up part development and production programs
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Materials & Processes: Introduction
High strength at low weight remain the winning combination that propels composite materials into new arenas, but other properties are equally important. This article outlines the case for composites and introduces SourceBook's overview of the materials and processes used to make them.
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Natural fiber composites: Market share, one part at a time
Suppliers and adventurous composites fabricators put the “feel good” aspect in the rearview mirror, winning customers by competing on price and performance.
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JEC World 2016 exhibition and product previews
JEC World 2016 will be held in Paris March 8-10. These are some of the products that will be found at the show.
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Gardner Business Index at 43.4 in January
Mid-sized U.S. production facilities expand; capital spending plans reach second highest level since August 2015.
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Alternative precursor R&D: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, US) has been at the forefront of North American research into alternatives to the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor used to make aerospace-grade carbon fiber.
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Alternative precursor R&D: Lignin in the lightweighting limelight
This abundant, renewable resource shows promise as an alternative to PAN for low-cost, functional carbon fibers.
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Fiber patch preforms help tailor kiteboard performance
Automated means for laying fiber only where needed offers new potential to fine-tune torsional stiffness and flexibility to board and rider styles.
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