Composites in context

The large scale social changes which influence the development of new materials are reviewed and the new materials and processing methods being developed in response to these are described and contrasted with some recent advances in composite materials science.The particular technologies described are injection casting and superplastic forming, high temperature reinforcement by in situ composites and mechanical alloying. Aluminium lithium alloys are compared with carbon fibre reinforced plastics and with SiC reinforced aluminium. The reasons for the interest in new ceramic materials are reviewed and methods used to toughen ceramics are explained. Fibretoughening i is the most effective. Finally the properties of the newest composites containing carbon fibres in thermoplastic matrices are reviewed.