INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITE MATERIALS 

Composite materials have become a regular feature of our daily lives
over the last thirty five years. As experience and confidence in composite materials has grown, their use has extended from decorative and functional applications to structural ones. 

Some of the major composites markets include:
- Major vehicles for aesthetics (shape, aerodynamics) and function
(part integration, weight saving)
- Rail transport for function (weight savings)
- Aerospace for function (part integration, weight saving, high
performance) 
- Sports good such as fishing rods ski poles and tennis rackets for
function (stiffness and durability)
- Storing and transporting corrosive liquids, for function (corrosion
resistance)
- Boats for aesthetics and function (resistance top sea water)

Composite materials are materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties, that when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components. The individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure.
Composite materials are generally used for buildings, bridges and
structures such as boat hulls, race car bodies, shower stalls, bathtubs,
and storage tanks, imitation granite and cultured marble sinks and
countertops. The most advanced examples perform routinely on
spacecraft in demanding environments.