»Since Apollo, advanced composites have evolved by leaps and bounds, and have played a significant role in space programs with use in launch vehicles, the space shuttle, satellites, space telescopes, and the International Space Station.»

Awesome article by CompositesWorld! A thoroughly recommended read!

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We think about carbon fiber composites as very stiff, however, as the authors suggest, when this material is manufactured thin enough, it can withstand very high deformations! The resulting high tensile and compressive strains require accurate modeling of the fiber-dominated non-linear effects to predict the mechanical response.

These thin, unidirectional carbon fiber composite shells can be folded to impressively small bending radii without failure. The ability to elastically sustain and recover large deformations makes these materials highly beneficial for applications like deployable space structures, future medical devices, or shape adaptable meta-materials.

Interested in learning more about this topic? Here is the link to the publication: https://lnkd.in/e_ywKNZ

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During the development stage, the company faced several problems with the torsional stiffness of the aluminum honeycomb chassis. The prototype chassis was losing a fifth of its torsional stiffness after 30,000 kilometers of testing, and the test drivers were noticing poor vehicle handling. To solve this problem, Bugatti invested in a new carbon fiber chassis that was developed and supplied by Aerospatiale, giving the car the stiffness it needed to achieve its performance targets. History was made when the EB 110 became the first production car to have a carbon fiber monocoque.

Another version of the EB 110 was also released. Named »Super Sport», this variant was lighter than the original by 150 kg. This was achieved by the use of carbon fiber body panels on the exterior and in the interior.

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In 1968, chemist Dr. Albert Pennings managed to pull some wispy threads from the stirring rods in his beaker. He found it impossible to pull the strands apart. Excited, he rushed to tell his boss’s, which responded: “Fiber? If I wanted a fiber I would pick up the phone and order some! Stop with this nonsense!”.

It was the discovery of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber, later branded as Dyneema!

This outburst set the tone for a decades-long ride to bring Dyneema to the market. The journey would involve multiple co-inventors, dismissive managers, happy accidents, quantum technological leaps, commercial innovations, and a few experiments that under current regulations would be considered safety violations. Fast-forward to 2021, Dyneema is a market leader in offering solutions for high-performance ropes, body armor, safety gloves, and medical applications.

The use of Dyneema has produced many iconic images: upturning the stranded cruise ship Costa Concordia in Italy and placing the crown on the Freedom Tower in NYC!

Amazing to see how fiber technology has evolved during the last decades, isn’t it?

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