Smart Facts – Composite materials
- A composite material is a mixture of two or more materials which has properties better than the components
- Concrete is the most commonly used composite. About 10 billion tons are made every year – more than one cubic metre for every person on Earth
- There are many natural composites including bone, wood and rock
- The earliest man-made composite material were bricks made of straw and mud. The ancient Egyptians recorded these being made in tomb paintings
- Modern surfboards are made from fibreglass, a cheap composite material of glass fibre and a plastic polymer. Before the 1960s they were made from wood
- Gore-Tex is a composite which is used to make clothing. It contains layers of different materials which work together to create a fabric which is waterproof and breathable
- Around half of the materials used to make an aeroplane are composites
- Scientists have invented self-healing plastics. These composite materials contain chemicals which are released and form new plastic when the item becomes damaged
- Carbon nanotubes can be incorporated into materials to make them extremely strong but lightweight. In the future we may be able to use them to build an elevator into space!
- 3D printing will become more useful in creating composite materials in the future. They can be used to print layers of different materials making new types of composites
What is Smart Science?
Written for the new 2014 Science Curriculum, Smart Science provides a flexible scheme of work that can be used to deliver either a 2 or 3 year Key Stage 3. If you’d like to see more, then check out these free Smart Science resources.
Exploring Composites and Compounds this term with your students? Here are some more free resources: