Bader M. G.
School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K.
J Microsc. 2001 Feb;201(2):110-121. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2001.00761.x.
Polymer matrix composites are based on the combination of stiff, strong reinforcing fibres with either thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer matrices. Since their introduction in the early 1940s, the world market has increased to some 5 million tonnes per annum, and some composites may now be considered commodity materials. The spectrum of fibre-reinforced plastics ranges from very high-performance speciality materials costing more than $1000/kg to these commodity composites, with more modest properties, at less than $10/kg. The performance of composites is determined by the properties of the fibre, the fraction of fibre in the composite and the structure, or fibre architecture. Processing technologies have been developed which maximise fibre content and precisely control the fibre architecture allowing for the manufacture of components with mechanical properties tailored to service requirements. Many composites offer significant advantages in specific stiffness and/or specific strength over metals. This makes them attractive for applications where high mechanical performance and minimum weight are important. However, the wider acceptance of composites is based on their ability to offer a more cost-effective alternative. In particular, composites also allow a dramatic reduction in the parts count in many applications, which leads to significant manufacturing advantages and greater economy.
聚合物基复合材料是基于刚性、高强度的增强纤维与热固性或热塑性聚合物基体的组合。自20世纪40年代初问世以来，全球市场年需求量已增至约500万吨，如今一些复合材料可被视为大宗商品材料。纤维增强塑料的范围从每千克成本超过1000美元的超高性能特种材料到这些性能较为普通、每千克成本低于10美元的大宗商品复合材料。复合材料的性能取决于纤维的性能、复合材料中纤维的比例以及结构，即纤维架构。已开发出的加工技术可使纤维含量最大化并精确控制纤维架构，从而制造出具有符合使用要求的机械性能的部件。许多复合材料在比刚度和/或比强度方面相对于金属具有显著优势。这使得它们在高机械性能和最小重量至关重要的应用中具有吸引力。然而，复合材料更广泛的应用基于其提供更具成本效益替代方案的能力。特别是，复合材料还能在许多应用中大幅减少零件数量，从而带来显著的制造优势和更高的经济性。
