A review on composites: Selection and its applications

Abstract

This review article summarizes the various components in the field of composites. A composite is a material which consists of two or more individual materials blended together or joined together to form a newer material which is meant for their improved properties. In this article, the different categories of the composite materials and the materials used as composites are discussed. The major objective of this study is to know about the various materials, which can be act as the reinforcement and the matrices. The methods of fabrication of the composites are also discussed in an elaborate manner. Over 80,000 types of the materials are available in the world, estimation suggests in the research on engineering materials. It includes metallic compounds and non – metallic components, such as ceramics, glasses, plastics, semiconductors, etc.This article also discusses about the details of the composites such as advantages and drawbacks, matrix systems, reinforcement volume, characteristics such as mechanical, physical, thermal and tribological properties. In expansion to this, also gives the over view for the application of the composites in different field on domestic applications, bio – medical applications and several industrial applications. A lot of tools also be there to select the material for the composites to support the production.Most importantly, in this review the natural fibre composites are dealt with more concern. And the criteria for the material selection such as strength, stiffness, cost, weight, renewability, recyclability, biodegradability, eco – friendly and availability are taken into account for the selection. In recent years, since the importance of the natural fibre composites in various applications in automotive, aerospace, defence, medical, furniture and building construction industries. This will be greatly beneficial for the researchers and the academicians, to understand about the natural fibre composites as well as their applications.