From the course: Introduction to Composite Manufacturing
History of composites
From the course: Introduction to Composite Manufacturing
History of composites
- [Instructor] In the early days, the use of composites was limited. Things like fabric and glues were used as rudimentary composites on the earliest aircrafts, like the Wright flyer, but had limited usage because they lacked strength and resistance to the elements. So what were these early layups used for? They were used as wraps on the wings to help with the aerodynamics of the aircraft to help achieve lift. But sometime in the early 60s came boron filaments. It was the emergence of boron filaments that gave birth to a new generation of composites. Boron, in conjunction with carbon fiber or graphite, creates a very high-strength fiber and is now what's called advanced composites. Until the 1960s, aluminum was basically used everywhere for lightweighting aircraft. And since aluminum is very strong, it solved a lot of problems with helping to get an airplane off of the ground. But because of the nature of fabricating aluminum and, in some instances, weight, it was not the complete panacea we needed. Now, with the introduction of boron and thus carbon fiber, it allowed a very strong structural design component to be put into place made out of a composite material that are lighter and stronger than aluminum, and in some instances, more resistant to wear and environmental factors. By the 1980s, composites were already established in major structural components in various industries, such as space and aviation. The increasing use of composites has basically lowered the dependence and use of steel and aluminum aircrafts.
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