Laminated composite materials have been used since the 1960s for structural applications. This first generation of materials were successful because of the materials' high stiffness and strength performance. The aims of this book are to describe the manufacturing processes, to highlight the advantages, to identify the main applications, to analyse the methods for prediction of mechanical properties and to focus on the key technical aspects of these materials in order to discover how better to exploit their characteristics and to overcome their disadvantages in relation to the laminated composite materials. This book covers many areas related to 3-D fabric textile technologies, and manufacturing is treated as a key issue. Theoretical aspects of micro- and macromechanics are covered in depth, as well as properties and behaviour. Specific techniques including braiding, stitching and knitting are described and compared in order to evaluate the most attractive configurations available at the moment. Present and future applications and trends are described to illustrate that 3-D textiles are part of the real industrial world not only today but tomorrow as well.

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are used in almost every type of advanced engineering structure, with their usage ranging from aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft through to boats, ships and offshore platforms and to automobiles, sports goods, chemical processing equipment and civil infrastructure such as bridges and buildlings. The usage of FRP composites continues to grow at an impessive rate as these materials are used more in their existing markets and become established in relatively new markets such as biomedical devices and civil structures. A key factor driving the increased applications of composites over the recent years is the development of new advanced forms of FRP materials. This includes developments in high performance resin systems and new styles of reinforcement, such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. This book provides an up-to-date account of the fabrication, mechanical properties, delamination resistance, impact tolerance and applications of 3D FRP composites. The book focuses on 3D composites made using the textile technologies of weaving, braiding, knitting and stiching as well as by z-pinning.

Laminated composite materials have been used since the 1960s for structural applications. This first generation of materials were successful because of the materials' high stiffness and strength performance. The aims of this book are to describe the manufacturing processes, to highlight the advantages, to identify the main applications, to analyse the methods for prediction of mechanical properties and to focus on the key technical aspects of these materials in order to discover how better to exploit their characteristics and to overcome their disadvantages in relation to the laminated composite materials.This book covers many areas related to 3-D fabric textile technologies, and manufacturing is treated as a key issue. Theoretical aspects of micro- and macromechanics are covered in depth, as well as properties and behaviour. Specific techniques including braiding, stitching and knitting are described and compared in order to evaluate the most attractive configurations available at the moment. Present and future applications and trends are described to illustrate that 3-D textiles are part of the real industrial world not only today but tomorrow as well.

Textile composites encompass a rather narrow range of materials, based on three-dimensional reinforcements produced using specialist equipment. This book describes the design, manufacture and applications of textile composites. The intention is to describe the broad range of polymer composite materials with textile reinforcements, from woven and non-crimp commodity fabrics to 3-D textiles and their applications. The book gives particular attention to the modelling of textile structures, composites manufacturing methods, and subsequent component performance. This practical book is an invaluable guide for manufacturers of polymer composite components, end-users and designers, structural materials researchers, and textile manufacturers involved in the development of new products with textile composites.

Mechanics of Textile and Laminated Composites is in three parts. The first part (Chapters 1 and 2) covers the fundamental issues of 3-D theory of elasticity and presents the theory of elasticity of an anisotropic body with comprehensive analysis of its specific cases. The second part (Chapters 3-5) presents the theoretical and experimental characterization of the elastic properties of unidirectional, textile and layered composite materials. The final part (Chapters 6 and 7) addresses the problems of 3-D stress analysis in laminated and textile composite structures. Major emphasis is placed on textile composites, perhaps the most complex and at the same time most promising group of composite materials. One of the most important features of this book is that it provides accurate and efficient 3-D analysis of laminated and textile reinforced structures, using novel methods. It has become more and more evident in recent years that, in many practical design situations, such full-scale 3-D analyses are required. Researchers, designers and engineers working with composite materials and structures will find this book an invaluable addition to their libraries.

This book presents a global view of the development and applications of technical textiles with the description of materials, structures, properties, characterizations, functions and relevant production technologies, case studies, challenges, and opportunities. Technical textile is a transformative research area, dealing with the creation and studies of new generations of textiles that hoist many new scientific and technological challenges that have never been encountered before. The book emphasizes more on the principles of textile science and technology to provide solutions to several engineering problems. All chapter topics are exclusive and selectively chosen and designed, and they are extensively explored by different authors having specific knowledge in each area.

This book focuses on the fibers and textiles used in composite materials. It presents both existing technologies currently used in commercial applications and the latest advanced research and developments. It also discusses the different fiber forms and architectures, such as short fibers, unidirectional tows, directionally oriented structures or advanced 2D- and 3D-textile structures that are used in composite materials. In addition, it examines various synthetic, natural and metallic fibers that are used to reinforce polymeric, cementitious and metallic matrices, as well as fiber properties, special functionalities, manufacturing processes, and composite processing and properties. Two entire chapters are dedicated to advanced nanofiber and nanotube reinforced composite materials. The book goes on to highlight different surface treatments and finishes that are applied to improve fiber/matrix interfaces and other essential composite properties. Although a great deal of information about fibers and textile structures used for composite applications is already available, this is the only book currently available that discusses all types of fibers and structures used to reinforce polymers, cement, metal or soil to improve their general performance and multi-functional behaviors. As such, it fills an important gap in the available literature and provides a valuable resource for a wide range of students and researchers from academia and industry.

Advanced Composite Materials for Aerospace Engineering: Processing, Properties and Applications predominately focuses on the use of advanced composite materials in aerospace engineering. It discusses both the basic and advanced requirements of these materials for various applications in the aerospace sector, and includes discussions on all the main types of commercial composites that are reviewed and compared to those of metals. Various aspects, including the type of fibre, matrix, structure, properties, modeling, and testing are considered, as well as mechanical and structural behavior, along with recent developments. There are several new types of composite materials that have huge potential for various applications in the aerospace sector, including nanocomposites, multiscale and auxetic composites, and self-sensing and self-healing composites, each of which is discussed in detail. The book's main strength is its coverage of all aspects of the topics, including materials, design, processing, properties, modeling and applications for both existing commercial composites and those currently under research or development. Valuable case studies provide relevant examples of various product designs to enhance learning. - Contains contributions from leading experts in the field - Provides a comprehensive resource on the use of advanced composite materials in the aerospace industry - Discusses both existing commercial composite materials and those currently under research or development

There have been important recent developments in the production and application of three dimensional fabrics. These 3D textile structures have great potential for new fabrics and textile applications. 3D fibrous assemblies summarises some key developments and their applications in the textile industry.The book begins with an introductory chapter which defines the concepts and types of 3D fibrous assemblies. The book then discusses how 3D fabrics can be applied in textile products. These range from composites and protective clothing to medical textiles. The remainder of the book reviews the two main 3D fabrics; multi-axial warp knitted fabrics and multi-layer woven fabrics. Themes such as structure, manufacture, properties and modelling are considered for both fabrics.Written by a distinguished author, 3D fibrous assemblies is a pioneering guide for a broad spectrum of readers, ranging from fibre scientists and designers through to those involved in research and development of new generation textile products. - Presents exciting opportunities for the creation of new textiles through the use of three dimensional textile fibre assemblies - A comprehensive account of the different types of 3D fabrics and their associated structure, properties, manufacture and modelling - Examples of how three dimensional fibres can be applied in textile products

Various factors in the automotive sector have combined to create a favourable climate for the development of materials and fabrication techniques for polymer-based composite body panels and structures. The cond104 in which composites are used within the automotive industry has been reviewed in this report and those materials and processes that are used in the fabrication of components and structures are described in detail. For this reason, this report is essential reading for the composites, plastics industries and the land transport/automotive sectors. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.