Composite materials like Kevlar, carbon fiber, resin epoxies, polyesters, and vinyl esters are relied on heavily by the power generation industry. Composites are extremely versatile due to their
- excellent dielectric qualities;
- superior mechanical strength with regard to their weight;
- low thermal conductivity; and
- corrosion resistance.
If composites were used to create and shield the massive power generation machines used to power whole cities, then you would think they were pretty robust. But now, NASA has announced that they've found a way to make composite materials even cooler: They've built an all-composite space capsule.
The properties we outlined above--a good strength to weight ratio; high corrosion and heat resistance; low thermal conductivity--all contribute to making composite applications perfect for space. In particular, the ability of composites to be formed in complex shapes while retaining their great strength and structural integrity is very important. Mike Kirsch, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center project manager sounds very optimistic when he says,
"We are very pleased with the entire test series. Throughout testing, there were no anomalies and performance aligned amazingly well with analytical predictions."It is incredibly humbling and exciting that the frontiers of human knowledge can be expanded using the same kind of high tech materials that allow us to charge our cellphone and brew coffee in the morning.
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