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Engineering and the Advancement of Human Welfare 10 Outstanding Achievements 1964-1989 (1989) / Chapter Skim
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Advanced Composite Materials
Pages 26-29

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From page 26...
... Most were originally developed to provide lighter, stronger, more temperature-resistant materials for military aircraft and spacecraft. Skyrocketing fuel prices in the 1970s made the new materials attractive to civil aviation, where their lower weight I has helped cut the cost of operating airliners.
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From page 27...
... Advanced composites came directly out of Air Force efforts in the early 1960s to find A D VA N C ~ D C O M P O S ~ T E M AT E R 9 A L 5 Graphite/epoxy and other advanced composite materials are used to construct the entire body and wings of the Starship business plane and account for more than 70 percent of its overall structural weight. materials with higher strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios than aluminum.
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From page 28...
... Graphite composite increased stiffness and reduced shaft weight by about 40 percent, allowing golfers to swing the club faster and drive the ball farther than they could with heavier clubs. Composite tennis rackets appeared next, followed by fishing rods, race-car chassis, and other sports equipment.
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From page 29...
... These composites are up to five times tougher than unreinforced ceramics, lighter than steel, and less expensive than other advanced materials now used for armor. Ceramic composites are also being studied for use in car and jet engines, where their light weight and heat resistance would substantially boost fuel economy.
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  • sports equipment
  • business plane
  • golf clubs
  • vessels handling

  • japanese golf
  • structural weight
  • light ceramiccomposite
  • lower weight
  • ceramics materials

  • space plane
  • tool cuts
  • replace steel
  • molecular orientation
  • transportation industry

  • spacecraft structures
  • club faster
  • processing techniques
  • ballistic missile
  • california company


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