Studies on Mechanical Properties of Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene (UHMWPE)-Basalt Fiber Reinforced Hybrid Polymer Matrix Composites

Abstract

Composite materials have become a preferred material now days because of their strength and also they are light. An additional material can be produced by a combination of matrix and reinforcement. The connections also give the flexibility of the design, because many of them can be formed in complex shapes. The economic significance of composite materials is now illustrious. There is strong indication far and wide that this importance will be increasing in the future. Composite materials now occupy an established position in the aerospace industry. They are also used for many components in the automotive industry; marine industry and civil infrastructures now have their reinforcements made of composite materials. There is a large range of manufacturing processes for the production of low-cost composites. Composite materials have been utilized to solve technological problems for a long time but only in the 1960s these material started capturing the attention of industries with the introduction of polymeric-based composites. Since then, composite materials have become common engineering materials and are designed and manufactured for various applications including automotive components, sporting goods, aerospace parts, consumer goods and in the marine and oil industries. The growth in composite usage also came about because of increased awareness regarding product performance and increased competition in the global market for lightweight components.