One of the hottest trends in aerospace composites right now is the development of multifunctional composite materials. Multifunctional composites show a lot of promise for delivering more complete materials designed from the ground up to simultaneously deliver on all the most important properties a manufacturer desires.
To be clear, composite materials are the heart and soul of aerospace design. Without materials like carbon fiber and aramids, it would be impossible to build the largest jumbo jets and the spacecraft that might one day carry us to new planets. But traditional composites do have their limits. Developing multifunctional composites is one way around some of those limits.
Multifunctional composites are based on a simple principle: getting away from single-function materials in favor of new materials that perform multiple functions simultaneously. Right now, traditional composites are generally engineered for a single property. One material might emphasize strength and stiffness, while another is designed for thermal protection.
The idea is to create new composites that meet all a design’s needs in one material. We are far from achieving that goal, but we are well on the way toward it. The composites industry is making big strides in developing the multifunctional composites of tomorrow.
Although the multifunctional concept is simple enough to understand, implementing it is more challenging. It is all about finding the right combinations. Engineers start with carbon, glass, and aramid fibers. They combine those fibers with some sort of matrix. The matrix could be a polymer, a metal, or even a ceramic.
Multiple fibers can be combined in a single matrix. Matrices themselves can be modified quite a bit. Of course, fiber arrangement is also up for grabs. So what we have here is a seemingly endless potential for mixing and matching in order to optimize certain properties.
Engineers are also looking at new fibers like carbon nanotubes and graphene. They are working on ways to create layered structures that integrate nonwoven conductive layers. They are experimenting with embedded components and bio-inspired design.
It takes a lot of work to come up with new composite materials. As far as multifunctional materials are concerned, the work requires a significant investment of time and financial resources. But everything that goes into multifunctional composites is worthwhile.
Our industry is doing what it takes because multifunctional composites improve:
Some engineers in our industry are especially intrigued by the possibility of composites with improved responsive behaviors. These would be materials capable of some level of self-healing in the event of minor damage. The potential for multifunctional composites to respond to environmental conditions in a self-modifying way is also on the table.
As we develop multifunctional composites for aerospace, we are realizing that the possibilities are unimaginable. Multifunctional composites will ultimately prove to have so many applications in:
Aerospace designers already rely on composite materials to do so much. What we now know as aerospace would not be possible without composites. But composite technology can be pushed so much further. That is what we are hoping to do with multifunctional composites.
Right now is a wonderful time to be involved in the aerospace composites industry. As we press on toward multifunctional materials, we are also going to push the limits of what composites can do. It is going to be an exciting ride!
