por LlucMarti | Ago 31, 2022 | Story-time
Several pioneers in fiberglass boatbuilding were notable builders in wood before World War II. That was the case with Ray Greene of Toledo, Ohio. Born in 1913, he began building boats at age 12! He was keen to discover a new and better material for making hulls, even...
por LlucMarti | Ago 24, 2022 | Getting technical
It’s safe to say that the leather caps and googles use during the ’50s are long gone! During the end of the ’60s, the first helmets made of a composite material (in this case, fiberglass) were already being developed. But what are F1 helmets made of...
por LlucMarti | Ago 18, 2022 | Story-time
The use of composite materials in military equipment started much earlier than you think! In about 1200 AD, Mongols invented the first composite bows made from a combination of wood, bamboo, bone, cattle tendons, horns, and silk bonded with natural pine...
por LlucMarti | Ago 16, 2022 | Getting technical
Carbon fiber is made from organic polymers, which consist of long strings of molecules held together by carbon atoms. Most carbon fibers (about 90%) are made from the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) process. A small amount (about 10%) are manufactured from rayon or the...
por LlucMarti | Ago 11, 2022 | Story-time
In the early 1970s, DuPont’s Kevlar ballistic fabric was invented. During the mid-1970s, Kevlar was incorporated into a National Institute of Justice evaluation program to provide lightweight body armors for law enforcement officers. Kevlar armor was found...
