CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia's national science agency) researchers have set themselves the goal of producing a new generation of super-strong, lightweight polymer composite materials for use in aircraft, road vehicles, trains and ferries.
Aerospace manufacturers have already embraced weight-reducing composites, but until recently they were used in only a limited range of applications. However, in the new generation of aircraft being developed and built today, polymer composites are used extensively.
A team led by Dr Stuart Bateman at CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering is designing and testing even lighter and stronger polymer composites that will out-perform the conventional materials currently used in the transportation sector.
Composites with improved mechanical properties allow greater design flexibility. Nano-technology provides the scope to improve the mechanical performance of conventional composite materials.
These kind of improved properties are created by dispersing low concentrations of specially chosen additives within the polymer matrix. By this means the CSIRO team is producing polymers with unprecedented properties, such as strength, stiffness, impact resistance, fire resistance, and heat reflectance.
The design of the additive and controlling its dispersion are both crucial to producing the mix of properties required.
Some of the new functional additives are effective at trace concentrations, below one per cent. This low content is a bonus because it avoids unwanted changes in the material's processing ability and end properties such as surface finish, while still improving mechanical properties.
Many traditional halogenated compounds are falling out of favor with health and environmental agencies, creating a pressing need for alternatives. Super-light composites with enhanced flame retardant properties are expected to find uses in transportation, infrastructure and in defence applications.
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