What Are the Common Composite Materials? The Most Complete List

There are all kinds of materials in life, and each one plays a unique role in various industries and applications. One of the most frequently used materials today is composite materials. These materials combine two or more distinct substances to create a new material with superior properties.

In this article, we will provide a list of composite materials and explore how they are used in different sectors.  So do you know what are the common composite materials? Read this article, we will answer your questions!

What is a Composite Material?

Composite material (Composite Material wikipedia.) refers to a composite material containing two or more materials, which has more excellent performance. Composite materials can be mainly divided into two categories: structural composite materials and functional composite materials.

Structural composite materials are materials used as load-bearing structures, and are basically composed of reinforcement components that can withstand loads and matrix components that can connect the reinforcements to form an integral material and at the same time play the role of transmitting force.

Functional composite materials are generally composed of functional body components and matrix components. The matrix not only plays the role of forming the whole, but also can synergize or strengthen the function. Functional composites refer to composites that provide other physical properties in addition to mechanical properties.

Next, I will introduce the examples of composite materials and their advantages and applications in detail. 

What Are the Common Composite Materials?

Kevlar

Kevlar, is a polymer composite material used as a structural material, making it one of the key examples of composite materials in high-performance applications. Different types of composite materials like Kevlar are known for their lightweight yet strong properties, which is why they are commonly used in commercial aircraft. With a low mass and high strength, Kevlar stands out among common composite materials. For instance, its tensile strength and unit mass tensile strength are significantly higher than that of aluminum alloys and cold-drawn steel. While the tensile strength and unit mass tensile strength of aluminum alloy are both set at 1.0, Kevlar is rated at 5.4 and 10.0, respectively, showcasing its impressive performance as a composite material example. In comparison, cold-drawn steel only reaches 5.0 and 1.7.

FRP(Fibre-Reinforced Plastic)

The earliest composite materials include examples of composite materials such as fiberglass reinforced plastic, which was used in high-pressure containers. These containers, made of glass fiber and phenolic resin, not only save significant amounts of high-quality steel but also provide pressure resistance up to 50MPa. A glass-steel cylinder filled with gas, when dropped from a high place, will not explode or break, showcasing the durability of common composite materials. Fiberglass composite made of fiberglass and nylon can be used to make propellers for offshore fishing reels, which can save a lot of copper (in the past, most of the propellers of offshore fishing reels were made of copper, and only about 0.5t of copper was needed). This innovation helped reduce the need for copper, as traditional propellers were primarily made of copper, requiring about 0.5 tons of the metal. An all-plastic bicycle with glass fiber reinforced plastic as the frame weighs only 7kg. For example, an all-plastic bicycle frame made with glass fiber reinforced plastic weighs only 7kg, offering a lightweight yet durable alternative. The body and interior decoration materials of many cars are now made from composite materials like FRP and other plastics. Moreover, examples of composite materials such as FRP hulls are widely used in motorboats, minesweepers, lifeboats, yachts, and racing boats. FRP is also essential in producing corrosion-resistant components such as valves, pipes, pumps, fans, and tankers. (Fibre-Reinforced Plastic wikipedia.)

Ablation material

Examples of composite materials used in extreme conditions include glass fiber reinforced phenolic plastics and epoxy resins, which are commonly used as ablative materials in spacecraft and satellites. When spacecraft and artificial satellites re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, they experience intense friction with the air, causing the temperature of the outer shell to exceed 5000°C. To withstand these extreme conditions, composite materials such as ablative layers undergo various processes like pyrolysis, gasification, sublimation, melting, and radiation. These examples of composite materials are designed to absorb a significant amount of heat through the loss of surface material, ensuring the safety of the crew and equipment inside. The ablation process effectively "skins" the surface of the spacecraft, allowing the internal components to remain protected and safely return to the ground.

Carbon fiber

Reinforced plastic carbon fiber is made of viscose filament, polyacrylonitrile fiber, and pitch filament as raw materials, and carbonized at 1000-3000 ℃. Carbon fibers are extremely thin in diameter (around 7 μm) but are particularly strong. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics are increasingly used in aircraft and aerospace technology. In aircraft manufacturing, after replacing aluminum alloy or titanium alloy with it, the weight of the aircraft can be reduced by 15%. With the same amount of fuel, the flight distance can be increased by 10%, the ascent rate can be increased by 10%, and the runway during takeoff can be shortened by 15%. (Carbon fiber Carbon fiber automotive applications wikipedia.)

Mud-brick

What better way to introduce composite materials than by talking about mud-brick? Mud-brick were created when people realized that straw, with its resistance to stretching, combined with the compressive strength of dried mud, formed an effective building material.

This is one of the earliest composite materials examples, where two materials were combined to enhance performance. The ancient Egyptians used a composite of clay mixed with straw, and even today, developing countries still rely on mud bricks to build their huts.

Wood

Wood (and trees, of course) have been around for thousands of years. Yet, you might be surprised to find out that wood is actually a composite. Wood is made of long fibers of cellulose that are held together by a weaker substance called lignin.

The organization of the cellulose within the wood is what makes some types of wood (like ironwood) stronger than others. Engineered wood, such as plywood, takes advantage of weaker woods by cutting them into thin pieces and then gluing them together. This gives plywood the flexibility and the softer qualities that allow for nailing into plywood.

Translucent concrete

Concrete is a primitive example of composite materials because it combines small rocks with cement, resulting in a strong and durable material. When optic fibers, similar to those found in fiberglass, are added to concrete, the result is translucent concrete.

This is another innovative composite materials example where the appearance and properties of the material can vary depending on the ratio of cement to optic fibers. These composite materials not only enhance the strength of the concrete but also allow light to pass through, creating a unique aesthetic.

Composite honeycomb

This is a broad category of composites that all share the same characteristic of a honeycomb design. Man-made composite honeycomb is useful because of its high compressive and shear strength. Honeycomb designs can make products cheaper since less material is required to achieve the same desired strength. 

Engineered bamboo

Examples of composite materials can be seen in the combination of plywood, bamboo strips, and glue to create engineered bamboo flooring. Bamboo's high tensile strength, hardness, and lightweight nature make it an ideal material when combined into a composite flooring product. In fact, Temporary bamboo huts were constructed for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, further showcasing how bamboo, as part of a composite material, can be incredibly useful in lightweight construction applications. (Engineered bamboo wikipedia)

Other Composite Materials List

Ceramic matrix composite: Ceramic spread out in a ceramic matrix. These are better than normal ceramics as they are thermal shock and fracture resistant

Metal matrix composite: A metal spread throughout a matrix

Reinforced concrete: Concrete strengthened by a material with high tensile strength such as steel reinforcing bars

Glass fibre reinforced concrete: Concrete which is poured into a glass fibre structure with high zirconia content

Translucent concrete: Concrete which encases optic fibres

Engineered wood: Manufactured wood combined with other cheap materials. One example would be particle board. A speciality material like veneer can also be found in this composite

Plywood: Engineered wood by gluing many thin layers of wood together at different angles

Engineered bamboo: Strips of bamboo fibre glued together to make a board. This is a useful composite due to the fact it has higher compressive, tensile and flexural strength than wood

Parquetry: A square of many wood pieces put together often out of hardwood. It is sold as a decorative piece

Wood-plastic composite: Either wood fibre or flour cast in plastic

Cement-bonded wood fibre: Mineralised wood pieces cast in cement. This composite has insulating and acoustic properties

Fibreglass: Glass fibre combined with a plastic which is relatively inexpensive and flexible

Sandwich panel: A variety of composites that are layered on top of each other

Composite honeycomb: A selection of composites in many hexagons to form a honeycomb shape.

Papier-mache: Paper bound with an adhesive. These are found in crafts

Plastic coated paper: Paper coated with plastic to improve durability. An example of where this is used is in playing cards

Syntactic foams: Light materials created by filling metals, ceramics or plastics with microballoons. These ballons are made using either glass, carbon or plastic