Next Generation Composites

Existing fibre-reinforced polymer composites are known for their high strength and stiffness, which are used in applications from sporting goods to aircraft, but if the material fails it can be catastrophic and happen with little warning. A collaborative research team have been awarded a grant to develop a new generation of high performance, fibre reinforced polymer composites to overcome this key limitation.

The team from the University of Bristol's Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science and The Composites Centre at Imperial College London have been awarded a £6 million six-year programme grant by EPSRC. The aim of the project is to create a new generation of high performance, ductile fibre reinforced polymer composites capable of sustaining large deformations without breaking.

The team is led by Professor Michael Wisnom at the University of Bristol and Professor Alexander Bismarck at Imperial College London, and supported by partners including BAE Systems, dstl, Halliburton, Hexcel, Mouchel, Rolls-Royce and Vestas.

Advanced composites, based on carbon, glass and aramid fibres, are a vital low weight material technology that also offer operational savings and extended service lifetimes. These materials are being implemented in rapidly increasing volumes, with the UK supply of advanced composite systems currently around £1.6 billion per year and growing rapidly.

Professor Wisnom, Director of ACCIS, said: "Conventional polymer matrix composites offer high strength and stiffness, low weight, and low susceptibility to fatigue and corrosion, and we are witnessing a rapid expansion of their use in aerospace and other applications, such as wind turbine blades, sporting goods and civil engineering.